My Sister's Secret
by Detective Olivia Stabler
Summary: A sequel to “Truth & Deception.” Two sisters, one secret. Can Liv & El save their daughters before a terrible secret unravels their world completely?
1. Thing One & Thing Two

_**Author's Note:**___

_**Bailey and Aubrey Stabler are now fifteen year old freshmen in high school. I know the timing is not going to line up right, but for the sake of not trying to write this fifteen years in the future I am going to just pretend it is taking place now.**_

_**The other Stabler children are grown up as well. Eli is now about nineteen and in college. Elizabeth, is a pediatrician. Dickie, is a Military Police Officer in the U.S. Army. Kathleen, has gone into criminal law and is now a defense attorney. And Maureen, is a psychiatrist and is married with a one year old son and a three year old daughter.**_

_**Cragen is in his last year as Captain over the Manhattan Special Victim's Unit at the 1-6 and will soon retire, leaving John Munch to take his place. **_

_My Sister's Secret_

_(Chapter One: Thing One & Thing Two)_

"El," he heard her say over the buzzing of the alarm clock. "Come on. Get up. I am going to start breakfast and wake the kids. If you want a shower I suggest you get in there now. In half an hour there will not be any hot water left."

Elliot opened one eye to watch his wife of seventeen years climb out of bed and pull on her running clothes.

"I mean it Elliot," she reminded him in her mother voice. "We will be back from running in thirty minutes and I have two teenaged girls to get into the bathroom and get a shower myself. You'd better get up."

"Yes mother," he growled pulling a pillow over his face as Olivia pulled her hair back in a pony tail and headed down the hallway.

"Girls, we leave in five minutes!" She called as she tapped against each of their bedroom doors. "If you are not downstairs I am going without you!"

She continued down the stairs and pressed the button to start the coffee. She stretched out a bit as she watched the news on television. Aubrey was the first to make an appearance as she took the stairs two at a time and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Where is your sister?" Olivia asked looking at her.

"Still in bed for all I know," Aubrey said taking a bite from an apple she pulled from the fruit bowl on the counter.

Olivia looked down at her watch and then looked back up the stairs. "Bailey we are leaving! If you are coming with us get your butt down here!"

Aubrey, like her mother, was always up early even without the use of an alarm clock. Bailey however, was a little more like her father and usually took a little coaxing to get out of bed in the morning. For the last couple of years, since the girls had become active in cheerleading and sports at school they had joined Olivia on her running path in the mornings before school.

"I hope she hurries," Aubrey said looking at Olivia. "I was really hoping to get in two miles today to make up for it raining yesterday.

Olivia took a deep breath and turned to yell up the stairs again. "Bai…" was all she got out before her youngest, by two and a half minutes came sliding out across the top of the stairs in her socks slipping her shoes on as she ran down the stair case.

"I'm ready, I'm ready."

"Good," Olivia said with a smile as she kissed Bailey's forehead. And out the door they went.

Elliot waited in the bed until he heard the front door slam and he knew he was alone. He climbed from the bed and picked up his boxer shorts from the floor across the room, where they had landed the earlier when his lovely wife had woke him up at three in the morning to have sex. Not that he didn't appreciate sex with his wife, but this three o'clock in the morning kick she was on was really starting to get to him.

He moved to their bathroom and turned on a hot shower stepping in and just letting the water pour over him for a few minutes. He soaped up and rinsed off then climbed out, wiping the steam from the mirror with a towel and getting dressed.

Elliot walked toward the front of the house opening the door and picking up the newspaper from the front steps. He yawned and stretched as he opened it and closed the door heading back into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. He had just settled in his seat at the dining room table when Olivia and the girls returned home.

"Okay ladies, it is now six fifteen. Car leaves the house at seven thirty on the dot. Anyone not inside it walks to school."

"Mom, can I use your bathroom to shower?" Bailey asked.

"Make it quick. I am starting eggs who wants some?"

"Me," three voices called as the two girls headed up the stairs.

Olivia exhaled and pulled the carton from the refrigerator sitting it on the counter. She cracked three eggs into a skillet and started them for Elliot. In another skillet she started ham slices. She dropped bread into the toaster and refilled Elliot's coffee cup as she handed him a plate.

She separated six eggs, whites from yolks and dropped three of them into the skillet scrambling them with a fork. She placed a slice of ham in the skillet beside the eggs, then scrambled the other three eggs as well. She poured them into a separate skillet cutting up some tomato and bell pepper and dropping them into the omelet as it began to set. She laid three plates out on the counter in front of her and cut a grape fruit in half. She laid half a grape fruit on two of the plates and dropped the scrambled egg whites and ham on the third. Olivia started a second egg white omelet, for herself as the girls came back down stairs.

"Here we go ladies. Bailey, scrambled egg whites and ham. Aubrey, egg white omelet with tomato, peppers and cheese with half a grape fruit." She sat down two glasses and filled them with orange juice as she slid them to her daughters. "And juice. Coffee?"

"Me," Bailey said raising her hand. Olivia sat a mug down in front of her and filled it up.

"Thanks mom," Bailey said with a smile.

"Yeah mom, thanks." Aubrey smiled up at her.

"You are both very welcome," Olivia said dropping her omelet onto a plate and moving to sit next to her husband and eat. She picked up an envelope form the table and opened it.

"What is that?" Elliot asked looking at the envelope.

"The results on my blood work from the clinic," she said as she skimmed over the document.

Elliot watched her nervously. "And?"

"Perfect," she said with a smile as she laid the paper down on the table in front of her and took a sip of her coffee. "No sign of any cancer cells what so ever."

"Thank God," Elliot exhaled squeezing her hand."

Olivia smiled and placed her hand under her chin staring into his eyes. "Elliot we go through this every six months. It is just a routine blood work up. I am fine. I don't know why you get so nervous. I have done this every six months for about sixteen years, with no sign of the leukemia returning."

"I know. I just worry. I can't help it, Liv. You and these kids are my world, my life. I worry about all of you," he said kissing her hand.

"Well, now that this little thing has been dealt with we can get on with our lives," she said balling up the letter and tossing it into the trash. "For another six months at least."

Elliot smiled. "I love you."

"I love you, too. I have to get moving or we are going to be late," she said taking another sip of her coffee. She quickly finished her breakfast then moved upstairs to shower and get dressed.

At seven thirty on the dot, her black SUV pulled out of the driveway and headed for the city. Exactly the same at is did every other day of the week. Upon entering the city Olivia dropped the girls off at school, then headed to work. Elliot usually drove the car to work because he often went in earlier or worked later and this allowed Olivia to pick up the girls from school on time. Olivia made up for the few hours she managed to shave off her work week by doing a large amount of her paperwork at home and coming in and catching up on things a couple of Saturdays a month.

This was their balance. Their schedule and the way things had been since Olivia had returned to work after giving birth to her daughters. On the rare occasions Olivia and Elliot both got caught up in a case and had to work over, Maureen would usually pick the kids up and take them home with her for a while.

This was the girls' first year of high school and both seemed to be handling the transition very well. Both Aubrey and Bailey had always been straight 'A' students and neither of them had ever been in any real trouble at all. Aubrey was a cheerleader and ran with the popular crowd. Bailey was more quiet, but friendly to everyone and popular as well.

Elliot often thought back at some of the trials he had faced raising the older Stabler children. Eating disorders, partying, drugs, arrests, the lying and sneaking out. And he would think to himself how he must have gotten off easy this time.

Elliot stood beside his desk as Bailey and Aubrey climbed off the elevator and came running into the bull pen to greet everyone. Olivia stepped off behind them and walked back in to get a file she had forgotten. She took a seat at her desk and flipped through her mail as the girls made their way to Cragen's office.

"So what brings you back here?" Elliot joked.

"I forgot the Pelot file. I have to testify at his parole hearing in the morning, so I need you to take the girls to school."

"That psycho is up for parole again?"

"Yup. And hopefully, if I have anything to do with it anyway, he will be denied. Again."

"Which one was Pelot?" Fin asked.

"We got him for raping and murdering his fourteen year old neighbor. He was the suspect in the rape and murders of two other teenage girls as well, but we were never able to prove he did it. Statute of limitations ran out on us before we could tie him to them and they went cold. But the M.O. was the same. The crime scenes were even identical. Jeff Pelot only got a twenty five year sentence for what he did to that poor girl. And I intend to make sure he serves every bit of it."

"Do you see why I love her so much?" Elliot asked with a smile.

Fin laughed as Aubrey plopped down in her father's office chair and spun around in a circle.

"What have you been up to kid?" Fin asked giving her a high five.

"Not much. School."

"How you liking high school?"

"It's cool. Better than junior high."

"Your dad say's you're a cheerleader?"

"Yeah. I have been since I was like eight."

"Your sister doesn't cheer?"

"Oh, no. Bailey just runs track and plays softball."

"Softball, huh?" Munch asked looking at Bailey as she sat on the edge of her mother's desk.

"Yes."

"I used to play third base."

"I pitch," she said with a smile. "And Aubrey is short stop."

"You both play?"

"Yeah."

"You two ever trade places and confuse the other team?"

"Once or twice," Bailey laughed. "I bat left handed, so it really messes them up when they are not expecting it."

"You pitch lefty, too?"

"I can pitch either way."

"She is good Munch, you aught to see her. She has this little bounce step thing she does just before she throws a fast pitch. They can't hit it. She got M.V.P. for her team last year."

"Dad, that was eighth grade. This is high school. Completely different," Bailey said with a smile.

"Well, I am still proud of you," he said kissing her forehead. "Both of you," he said moving to kiss Aubrey as well. "What are you girls up to today?"

"Mom is taking us shopping and to get our nails done."

"She is, huh?" He asked looking across the room at Olivia who was still studying the file.

"Relax dad," Aubrey said with a smile. "It is babysitting money. And birthday money from grandpa," she said pointing to Cragen.

"Birthday money?" Elliot asked looking up at his boss. "Your birthday was in May. This is September."

"I gave them a little something. Twenty bucks, it wasn't much. I can give my grandchildren money if I want to."

"Twenty bucks?" Elliot asked studying the expression on Cragen's face. "You mean twenty bucks each. I know you better than that!"

"Hey I am their grandpa. It is my job to spoil them."

"Did you girls say thank you?"

"Thank you grandpa," they said at the same time.

"They did Elliot, the moment I handed it to them. They are both very well mannered young ladies," Cragen said as Aubrey belched really loud from the diet soda she was drinking.

She smiled a little embarrassed as pretty much everyone in the room turned their attention to her. "Excuse me."

Elliot nudged Bailey as she tried not to laugh. "Yes," Elliot said looking at Cragen, "very well mannered young ladies."

"Are we ready to go girls?" Olivia asked. "I have a lot of work to get done tonight and still have to figure something out for dinner."

"Just do what I do Liv," Munch suggested, "order a pizza. Nothing better than a spicy double pepperoni and sausage from Bryce Brothers."

"I would John, but we have some very particular appetites around our house. This one," she said pointing to Bailey, "does not like sausage. And this one," she said pointing to Aubrey, "does not eat pork at all."

"You girls don't know what you are missing," Munch said rubbing his stomach.

"About a thousand calories a slice and tons of saturated fat," Aubrey said with a smile.

"Smart kids," Fin said winking at her.

"Girls, tell everyone bye," Olivia said as she picked up her file and car keys. "I will see you at home later," she said kissing Elliot tenderly.

They scattered hugging everyone and saying their goodbyes, then came back and kissed their father goodbye.

"Bye daddy," Bailey said waving as they walked out of the room and toward the elevator.

"I swear they look more like Olivia every day," Munch said. "I can barely tell them apart anymore."

"Except that Aubrey is right handed and has blue eyes. Bailey has Liv's eyes and can use both hands, also like her mother."

"The term is ambidextrous," Munch rambled off.

"Whatever," Fin said returning to his desk. "They really are great kids. You have a beautiful family Elliot.

"I know," Elliot said picking up his pen to return to work. "When they were little I used to read to them from the 'Dr. Seuss' books. They were still babies, just big enough to be crawling and walking around. They were always getting into things. Olivia and I dubbed them _Thing One _and _Thing Two, _characters from one of the books. In the book _Thing One _and _Thing Two, _were these identical little monster things, very cute, anyway they were always getting into trouble. They still remind me of the girls. Infact last year during softball season they had _Thing One _and _Thing Two _printed on the back of their batting helmets. They are good kids, damn good kids. But they are kids. And kids, especially twins are a handful."

"And to think," Munch said with a devious grin, "you still have dating to look forward to."

Elliot shot him a smirk across the desk and returned his attention to his paperwork.


	2. 2 Wild Child

_My Sister's Secret_

_(Chapter Two: Wild Child)_

It was half past eleven o'clock at night and Bailey was returning to her room from the bathroom down the hall when she heard a thud coming from Aubrey's bedroom.

"Aubrey?" She asked as she pushed the door open slowly to see her sister standing on the roof outside the bedroom window.

Bailey entered the bedroom and closed the door quietly behind her. "What are you doing?"

"I am going to Jason Brigg's house for a little while. His parents are out of town and he invited some people over," Aubrey whispered. "Come on," she said reaching for Bailey's hand.

"No way. We have a big test in chem tomorrow. Or did you forget?"

"I don't have chemistry until fourth period. And I know that crap anyway. It will be fine."

"Well, I have it first period and I am not going anywhere."

"Bailey! You better not tell mom and dad!"

"Aubrey, don't do this."

"Bailey, please? We never get to do anything cool."

"Jason Brigg's and his friends are a bunch of stoners, Aubrey!"

"I am not going to do any drugs if that is what you are worried about. I am not that stupid! I just want to go out. With kids, our age. You should come, too."

"I don't think so, Aubrey."

"Bailey, please? Look, I am not asking you to lie to mom and dad. If they ask you where I am then by all means tell them. All I am asking is that you don't go in there and tell them I am gone. I will be back in a few hours and they will never even know I was gone. Pinky promise," she offering her little finger to her sister.

Bailey exhaled and looked back at the bedroom door. "Alright," she said locking her little finger in her sister's. "Just be careful. Don't do anything stupid like drink and drive."

Aubrey laughed. "We just turned fifteen! I don't even have a license!"

"How are you getting to Jason's?"

"Lisa from the squad. She is parked down the road waiting for me. She will bring me home in a few hours."

"Aubrey, if she drinks, don't ride with her. Call me and we'll figure something out."

"I promise. You are starting to sound like mom."

"I just don't want to lose my sister."

"Aww," Aubrey said hugging her. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me?"

"Not tonight," Bailey said. "But I want to hear all about it tomorrow at school."

Aubrey smiled and climbed down the lattice off the porch under her bedroom window. She turned and waved back to Bailey who watched until her sister was out of sight. She shut the window quietly, but did not lock it. She pulled the curtains and placed a body pillow in Aubrey's bed to make it appear as if her sister was sleeping there, then headed back to her own room.

The next morning Aubrey declined the invitation to go running with her mother and sister. Bailey blew it off knowing she was up late the night before at Jason's. Aubrey climbed from the back of her mother's car wearing dark sunglasses and pulled her bag over her shoulder as she headed for class.

Just before fourth period one of the other girls from Aubrey's cheerleading squad found Bailey in the hallway and told her that Aubrey was throwing up in the bathroom. Bailey went to her sister's side to see what was going on. As she walked into the girls bathroom and approached the stall Aubrey was leaned over throwing up again. Bailey sat her bag down and held Aubrey's hair back for her.

"Oh my gosh, you're sick. We should have them call mom."

"No," Aubrey argued as she raised her glassy eyes to look at Bailey. "I don't want mom and dad to know."

"Aubrey, you are sick. That is nothing to be ashamed of. You should be home in bed."

"I'm not sick, Bailey. I am hung over. My head is pounding and the room is spinning and I think I'm gonna," she leaned forward and threw up again.

Bailey tried her best to comfort her sister. Aubrey leaned back against the wall of the bathroom stall and groaned.

"Here," Bailey said pulling a bottle of water from her back pack.

"It will make me sick."

"No, it will help. You feel bad because the alcohol you consumed dehydrated you. You need more fluids in your body. That is what a hang over is, severe dehydration. Drink this and you will start to feel better, I promise."

"You don't drink. How do you know this?"

"It is science. I have to know this stuff if I am going to be a doctor some day. Speaking of science," she said looking at her watch. "You have three minutes until the bell rings."

"Bailey, I can't."

"You have to. You have never failed a test in your life. If you miss this mom and dad will know something is up."

"I am so sick, Bailey. Can you do it?"

"Me? I have already taken my test. And it wasn't even that hard. Mostly basic elements and you have to write them into the proper place on the periodic table of elements. You could do that in your sleep."

"Not today, I can't. Look, I screwed up. I screwed up bad. And I am never drinking again. Just this once. Mrs. Delancy can't tell us apart anyway."

"Yeah, except that I was just in her class wearing these clothes."

"You can wear my hoodie. Please Bail?"

"Oh, alright. I'll take your test for you and you go to Spanish class for me. But you own me big time. And if we get caught…"

"Then I will confess everything to mom and dad and tell them I mad you do it. But we wont get caught. Mrs. Delancy's tests always take the whole hour. Take the book from my bag and these glasses. If you finish early just read and don't talk to anyone and no one will notice you are not me. Oh, and write with your right hand."

"Right," Bailey said as she slipped on the sunglasses. She hugged her sister and raised her pinky finger to her as Aubrey locked hers in Bailey's. "We'd both better get going. I'll met you back here right after class."

"Thanks Bailey," Aubrey said with a weak and nauseated smile.

"Hey, you would do it for me," she said with a smile as she turned and went into class to take the examine for the second time that day.

The girls pulled it off without a hitch and Aubrey refrained from partying for a while. One day while they were changing clothes to go running with their mother Bailey notice that Aubrey had pierced her belly button.

"Isn't it cool?" She asked Bailey.

"Dad would freak!"

"Not as much as if he knew about the tattoo."

"You got a tattoo?"

"Not yet, but Jason knows a guy who does them. His cousin Jeremy, he goes to our school, he'll give me whatever I want for twenty bucks. It is going to be so cool!"

"Dad is going to kill you!"

"Kathleen got a tattoo when she was sixteen."

"Yes sixteen, almost seventeen! We just turned fifteen! And he almost killed her!"

"I am not afraid of _daddy_," she said in a sweet voice batting her eyes.

"What about mom?"

"Not scare of her either. You know how cool mom would be if she had a tattoo?"

"Do you know how dead you are going to be when they find out you have one?"

"Whatever!" Aubrey pulled her hair back and joined her mother downstairs for their morning run.

That Friday night there was another party at Jason Brigg's house. Jason was a junior and he was cool because he had an older brother who would get Jason and his friends beer for their parties. Jason also liked to smoke pot with his group of friends, including his cousin and it was no secret Jeremy had a thing for both Aubrey and Bailey.

Bailey was sitting on her bed reading a book when Aubrey tapped on the door and stepped inside. "There is another party at Jason's tonight. Are you in?"

"I thought you said you weren't going to do this anymore. You learned your lesson, remember?"

"I'm not gonna drink Bailey. I just want to go. All of our friends are going to be there."

"Didn't you already ask mom?"

"Yeah."

"And she said, what?"

"Ask your father."

"Aubrey!"

"And dad said, no. Duh! Do you think I would be standing here asking you to sneak out the window with me if our parents were cool with it? No we would be walking out the front freaking door! Bailey, please? Last time you said you would next time. Well, it _is_ next time. And we don't have school tomorrow."

"You're not drinking?"

"Cross my heart."

"Okay," Bailey said. "But if I don't like it we come back home."

"Okay. Jason's cousin, Jeremy, is supposed to be there. The one who does the tattoos. I just want to meet him and talk to him about ideas for mine. Mingle a bit, then we can go. I promise. I am talking two hours tops."

"Are mom and dad still downstairs?"

"Nope. They went to bed early," Aubrey said raising an eyebrow."

"Eww. I don't even want to think that old people like mom and dad have sex."

"Of course they do, nimrod! How else do you think we got here?"

"That is wrong on so many levels!"

"Just get dressed so we can get out of here before they get loud."

"Eww!" Bailey shrieked. "You mean you have actually heard them having sex?"

Aubrey laughed. "No, but the look on your face was classic. I over heard mom on the phone to her….lady doctor talking about getting a new IUD."

"IUD?"

"It is birth control. So she wont get pregnant again. And have more monsters like us. I assume they have sex or she wouldn't need birth control."

"True," Bailey agreed. "It is kind of sweet if you think about it."

"What? Dad all sweaty on top of mom?"

"Gross! No! I mean the fact that after seventeen years of marriage and two children…"

"Teenagers!"

"Teenagers….they are still romantic together. Daddy is such a good husband. I want a husband like him someday."

"Someday. But not today. Let's go before we're too old to have kids of our own!"

"Okay," Bailey said pulling on a hooded sweatshirt and grabbing her cell phone from the bed.

Jason's house was full of drunken teenagers long before the Stabler girls arrived. Bailey and Aubrey walked in side by side and looked around. Not as many of their friends were there as they thought would be and the ones who were all appeared to be drunk or stoned.

Bailey glared at her sister. "I'm ready to go Aubrey. Now."

"Twenty minutes, Okay? Just let me find Jason so he can introduce me to his cousin Jeremy. I will talk to him about the tat and we are out of here." She offered up her little finger to Bailey.

Bailey looked at it for a minute and nodded as she curled her finger around Aubrey's. "Twenty minutes."

"Okay. Why don't you go talk to Lisa? You know her."

Bailey smiled nervously as she made her way to the sofa. She talked to Lisa and watched as Aubrey found Jason and he introduced her to another guy. Several minutes later Bailey got a text from Aubrey's phone that said she was going upstairs to Jason's room to look at some pictures of tattoos that Jeremy had brought with him.

Bailey looked up to see Aubrey laughing and following Jeremy up the stairs. She smiled and waved at her sister and mouthed "five minutes" to her from across the room. Twenty minutes later Bailey got tired of waiting. The people around her were getting drunker by the minute and starting to get rough and she had the feeling a fight could break out any minute. If it did, someone would surely call the police and this was the last place that the two fifteen year old daughters of two SVU detectives needed to be when the cops showed up to bust up a party. Especially seeing as there was alcohol and pot at the party.

She sent Aubrey another text, but after getting no answer she tried calling her phone again. Nothing. Bailey said goodbye to Lisa and headed up the stairs to find her sister so they could leave.

As she got to the top of the staircase she noticed the four bedroom doors, all of which were shut. She pressed her lips together and leaned against the first one to hear a couple inside obviously having sex. She could hear the girl moan softly and mumble Jason's name.

"No," she said as she moved to the next door.

She leaned against it, but the room was quiet. She listened carefully as she heard a few muffled sounds coming from the other side of the door. Bailey turned an looked at the other two rooms. She really didn't want to be know around school as the freshman who walked in on some couple getting busy at a party.

She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and hit send, redialing Aubrey's number. She listened against the door until she heard her ring tone on Aubrey's phone from the other side of the door.

"Got it," she said relieved as she tapped on the door pushing it open at the same time. "Aubrey, we really have to go." But what she saw when she walked in was something that would change both of their lives forever.


	3. 3 Pinky Promise

_**My Sister's Secret**_

_**(Chapter Three: Pinky Promise)**_

**Bailey opened the door and the room was dark except for a lava lamp in the corner. On the bed was a guy with a girl. The guy was on top of her and they were very obviously having sex. There were some clothes laying in a pile in the floor of the bedroom.**

"**Get the Hell out," the guy snapped as he glared over his shoulder.**

"**I am so sorry," Bailey said covering her mouth and backing toward the door. "I was looking for my sister."**

**As she backed up she tripped over something and fell to the floor. She took a deep breath and stood up almost as humiliated as the couple trying to have sex on the bed. She turned to walk back toward the door hearing them moaning behind her, only then realizing exactly what it was that had caused her fall. **

**It was a high heeled shoe. Black patent leather with a platform base and a rhinestone buckle across the toe. She picked it up again and flipped it over, size seven. This was her shoe. Her shoe that Aubrey had borrowed a week ago and not returned. Bailey stared down at it for a minute then turned and looked back at the couple on the bed.**

"**Aubrey?" She asked focusing on the girls hands as the guy moved on top of her moaning. She was trying to push away from him. **

"**Aubrey? Is that you?" Bailey asked stepping a bit closer until she could clearly see the ring on the girl's right hand ring finger. It was gold with double interlocked hearts, each with a small emerald. It was Aubrey's ring. The ring their father had picked out especially for each of them because it matched the necklace he had given their mother on the day they were born. She watched for a second unsure if this interaction was consensual. Then she heard Aubrey whimper as she continued to struggle with him.**

"**Get off of her!" Bailey said jumping onto the bed and hitting the guy in the head with the stiletto heel until he had released his grip on Aubrey's neck and pulled away from her.**

**Bailey reached for anything to throw at him, hitting him with a television remote control, a glass ashtray and an eleventh grade U.S. History book as she screamed at him until he was out of the room.**

**Aubrey gasped for air and cried as Bailey wrapped her arms tight around her sister covering her with the blankets. Bailey held her sister and tried to calm her, but began to cry as well when she saw the tears in Aubrey's eyes.**

**An hour later Bailey used her house key to let them back into the house. She started a hot shower for her sister in the downstairs bathroom and brought her clean clothes from the laundry room, careful not to wake their parents.**

**She put Aubrey's torn and bloody clothes into a plastic bag and hid them in the back of her bedroom closet so their mother would not find them. That night, for the first time since they were five years old, Bailey curled up in bed with her sister.**

**It seemed to take hours for them to fall asleep. Bailey was exhausted but refused to sleep until her sister did. **

"**We'll talk to mom and dad in the morning Bre, they will know what to do."**

"**No," Aubrey pleaded in tears, "please don't tell them. I don't want them to know. I don't want anyone to know. Especially, not mom and dad. Swear you wont tell," she begged.**

"**Okay, I swear." Bailey raised her pinky finger as Aubrey placed hers inside it. "Pinky promise," Bailey said with tears in her eyes as she hugged her sister tight and they both cried themselves to sleep.**


	4. 4 Divide And Conquer

_My Sister's Secret_

_(Chapter Four: Divide And Conquer)_

Olivia opened her eyes in the darkness, something had pulled her from a deep sleep. A strange feeling had suddenly come over her and unsure of what it was, she began to worry.

She climbed from her bed and headed down the hall to check on her daughters. She opened Bailey's door first, finding only an empty bed and her book. Concerned, Olivia turned and headed into Aubrey's room to see if she know where Bailey was.

Olivia pushed the door slowly open to see the girls curled up together in Aubrey's bed sleeping soundly. She exhaled in relief and stepped closer to tuck them in. She brushed her fingertip gently across Bailey's forehead and kissed her gently as she pulled the blanket up around her.

Olivia moved to Aubrey's side of the bed and tucked her in, kissing her as well. As she turned to go she noticed a little baby doll sitting on the shelf across the room, hand stitched with big blue eyes. Olivia picked the doll up and stared at it for a moment as she stared at it. She dragged her fingers through it's yarn hair and touched it's little button nose as a smile spread across her face. This was the doll Elliot had bought for Aubrey just moments before she was born. Olivia placed the doll in Aubrey's arms and kissed her daughter once more. Placed an extra blanket on the bed over the girls and headed back to her room.

She stepped out of her slippers and hung up her robe on the back of the bedroom door as she crawled back into bed beside Elliot.

"Everything alright?" He asked raising his arm to place it around her.

"Yeah. I just got a strange feeling, I wanted to check on them."

"But they are okay?"

"Sleeping like angels."

Elliot kissed her forehead and stared into her eyes. "I remember when they were little. Every night about this time someone would have a bad dream and they would both sneak into bed with us. I'd wake up in the morning, in my boxers and tee shirt freezing because the two four year olds between us stole all of the blankets." Elliot smiled down at her. "I loved every second of it."

Olivia laughed. "I'm wondering if someone didn't have a bad dream tonight," she suggested softly.

"Why do you say that?"

"Bailey is sleeping in Aubrey's room."

"They used to do that all of the time. If one kid went missing, always check the other one's bed before you panic."

Olivia smiled. "Yeah, when they were little and scared or hurt or sick. It was a comfort thing then. But they have not slept in the same bed together in ten years."

"They are teenagers, babe. Teenagers do some pretty strange things. They were probably laying in there together talking about boys and Bailey fell asleep in Bre's bed. You are making a big deal out of nothing."

"I'm sure you are right."

"But, now that we are awake," he said raising an eyebrow suggestively as he leaned in to kiss her.

Olivia giggled as she rolled over against him and pulled the blankets up around her. "Elliot, it is four o'clock Saturday morning and I am exhausted. We are supposed to meet Scott and Maureen and the kids for lunch and I am so tired. I have to get up in a couple of hours and go running with the girls and Bailey needs new cleats. I promised her I would take her this weekend, because they have a big game next week and she tore hers up sliding into home in their game on Wednesday."

Elliot laughed. "They seem to have turned high school girls softball into a contact sport. For two frilly little teenaged girls, they are pretty tough kids. Tougher than some boys their age."

"They love sports and they definitely don't get that from me. Can we please get some sleep?"

"Okay," he breathed as he kissed her tenderly and she snuggled in against him to get a couple more hours sleep before starting her day.

Three and a half hours later Olivia reached to the side of the bed and shut off the alarm clock. She climbed from the bed and made her way down the hall to wake the girls.

"Bailey, Aubrey, it's time to get up. We slept in a little while, but if we are going to run we need to get going. We have a big day ahead of us," she said pulling open the curtains to let the sunlight into the room.

Bailey groaned and pulled the blanket over her head. Olivia smiled, Bailey reminded her so much of Elliot. "I'll take that as a no," she said moving around to Aubrey's side of the bed.

She sat down and brushed the brunette strands of hair from in front of Aubrey's face and kissed her forehead. Aubrey took a deep breath and her blue eyes fluttered open to look into Olivia's. "What about you baby? You want to go running? Just you and mom?"

Aubrey stared at her mother for a moment trying so hard not to cry. "No mama," she whispered softly. "I think I just want to sleep in today," she said in a mousy voice as she pressed her lips together.

Olivia smiled and kissed her daughter as she pulled the blankets back up around her. "Okay honey. I'll wake you for breakfast. I love you."

"Love you too, mom," she said with a yawn as her heavy eyes closed again and tried to fall back to sleep.

Olivia walked back to the bedroom and put on her running clothes. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail and pulled her ipod from the junk drawer in the kitchen on her way out the door. Half an hour and two miles later she returned home to find the girls still asleep and Elliot taking a shower in their bathroom.

She decided to seize the opportunity and quickly dropped her sweaty clothes climbing into the shower with her husband.

"What are you doing in here?" Elliot asked with a devious grin.

"Making up for last night," she said with a wink.

"Oh. Are you awake now?"

"I just ran two miles in twelve minutes then walked another to cool down. I am awake. And full of excess energy I need to burn off."

Elliot laughed as he kissed her and smoothed his hands through her hair helping to saturate it with water. He reached to the shelf in the corner and poured some of her shampoo into his palm.

Olivia moaned softly as he soaped up her hair and massaged her scalp with his fingertips.

"I love it when you wash my hair," she said with a smile. "It is so relaxing and feels so good. Best feeling in the world."

Elliot smiled as he kissed the tip of her nose and backed her under the water to rinse away the shampoo. "It is, huh?"

"Well," she said with a smile, "one of the best feelings in the world."

Elliot kissed her again as he squeezed suds from body wash out of her shower puff over her body. He dragged the purple shower puff over her and rinsed away the soap. He smiled at her as he reached to turn off the water, but Olivia stopped him.

She pulled him closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "It is just after eight thirty, the house is quiet and the kids are still asleep. In half an hour I need to wake them and fix breakfast, then it is on with our day of shopping and errands then meeting with Maureen and the grandkids for lunch. After that is the children's museum and the park for Bailey's practice. I'm thinking this might be our only chance to have a time alone for the day. So….why don't we make good use of our time," she said with a wink as she kissed him.

"Mmmm," Elliot moaned against her lips as she kissed him. "But baby, what I want to do takes way more than an hour."

"Oh yeah?" She asked giving him a seductive look as she held her hair up and he began to massage her shoulders.

"If I'm lucky and can get you alone that long. It has been known to last all day."

Olivia laughed playfully as she leaned back against the shower wall and reached out to touch his chest. "The girls are supposed to baby sit for Scott and Maureen tonight. I am pretty sure they are spending the night. We will have the house to our selves until tomorrow afternoon. Why don't you just give me a thirty minute preview of what is in store for me tonight?"

"I love the way your dirty mind works," Elliot said moving in against her body and kissing her again.

An hour later Olivia climbed out of their bed for the second time that morning. She sat up on the edge of the bed and stretched as she stared at the clock. She smiled as she felt Elliot's fingertips as he dragged them slowly down her bare back sending a chill up her spine.

"That was incredible," he said softly. "Good to know we have not lost our touch in our old age."

Olivia pulled the sheet up around her and walked across the room to the dresser. "Who are you calling old, Stabler?" She snapped as she threw a pair of his boxers at him and they hit him in the chest. "You are a whole two and a half years older than I am! Now I suggest you put those on before one of your daughters comes in here asking about breakfast."

"All of my daughters are old enough to cook their own breakfast," he said snaking his arms around her waist and pulling her suggestively back toward the bed.

Olivia laughed. "Elliot, we don't have time. It is almost ten o'clock and we are supposed to meet Maureen and the kids at noon. Tonight," she said dragging her fingertip across his chest, "I promise."

"Tonight," he said as she pulled away from him dropping her sheet and walking into her closet to get dressed.

Elliot got dressed and headed for the stairs to go start the coffee.

"We are running so late," Olivia said from the other room.

"I'll take care of breakfast, you wake the girls."

Elliot walked down the stairs and started the coffee. He opened the cabinet and pulled out three different boxes of cereal, then sat a stack of bowls on the counter. He fixed himself a cup of coffee and a bowl of bran flakes and sat down at the table to enjoy his breakfast.

After what seemed like forever the girls finally made their way into the kitchen. Aubrey didn't say more than two words during the entire meal and Bailey didn't stop talking.

"Dad, mom said you made breakfast?" She asked looking at him confused.

"Right there," he said pointing to the cereal box. "Milk's in the fridge."

"Dad, seriously?"

"Seriously," he answered. "You think you girls are the only ones who like to sleep in on Saturday? Besides, we are meeting Scott, Maureen and the kids for lunch in less than two hours. You won't starve before then."

Bailey growled at the lack of her usual scrambled egg breakfast and settled for a cup of coffee.

"You want something Aubrey?" She asked looking at her sister.

"Just coffee please," Aubrey said quietly as Bailey poured a cup and handed it to her.

Olivia came down and joined her family at the table for a cup of coffee as well.

"We have got to get going girls," she said trying to hurry them along. "We still have to go get Bailey's shoes before we meet Maureen and you are not even dressed yet."

Aubrey shifted her eyes to look up at her mother. "Can I stay home today, mom?"

"What's wrong honey? Are you not feeling well?" Olivia asked placing her hand on Aubrey's forehead as Elliot walked into the living room to turn on the news. "You don't feel like you have a fever."

"I'll be alright mom. I just have cramps. Please?"

"Today is supposed to be a family day with Scott, Maureen and the kids."

"Please, mom? I really don't want to go walking around the mall for hours and sit in a noisy restaurant. I don't feel well and I just really want to go back to bed."

"Okay, but I don't want you staying home by yourself if you are sick. I'll talk to daddy and see if he can take you," she said looking at Bailey. "Then he can take you guys over there after lunch and practice to spend the night."

"I don't want to go," Aubrey said looking at Olivia. "Not this time."

"Aubrey, you promised Maureen. You'll probably feel better after you take some medicine and rest a while. She is counting on you."

"I can do it mom," Bailey said looking at her mother.

"Yes, but you both usually go."

"Mom, I am fifteen years old. I am fine to sit with Dylan and Gabby for a couple of hours while Scott and Maureen go to dinner. The kids are usually asleep by the time we get there and I can call Maureen or you and dad if there are any problems. I will be fine."

"Okay," Olivia agreed. Aubrey stood to go back to bed. "Honey, there is some Midol in my bathroom if you need it."

"Thanks mom," she said softly through glassy eyes and Olivia could tell something was up.

She carried her coffee mug to the sink and stared out the window. "Bailey, what is going on with your sister?" She asked.

"She told you mom," she said pouring out the rest of her coffee and sitting her cup into the sink as well. "She got her period and she has cramps. Geez!"

"That's all?"

"As far as I know!"

"Alright. You should go get ready. And hurry, daddy will be ready to leave before too long."

"I'll only be a minute," Bailey said as she ran up the stairs.

Olivia knew something strange was going on here and she wasn't buying their story for a minute. For the last three years or so she and the girls had always gotten their periods all in a row, overlapping by just a few days. Aubrey, should have already gotten hers this month.

Olivia stepped into the living room to talk to Elliot. "Here," she said placing her car keys into his palm. "Aubrey isn't feeling well and I'm going to stay home with her. Bailey is going to Maureen's tonight to baby sit alone."

"You think she'll be okay?"

"She is confident she can handle it. And she knows to call you or Maureen if there is any trouble. I trust her and she is very mature. She's fifteen years old, most girls are baby sitting alone by that age."

"Most girls are not baby sitting Dylan and Gabby."

Olivia smiled. "True, they are a bit of a handful at times. They just have so much energy. If she has any trouble we can bring the kids back here and keep them for the night."

"So much for our night alone," Elliot said as he kissed his wife.

"Hey, we can still have fun. We'll just have to keep it quiet and contained to the bedroom."

Elliot smirked.

"Besides, I think they are up to something. And maybe getting them apart we can weaken the twin defense and get one of them to crack."

"You think they are in trouble?"

"I don't know, something just seems strange about the way they are acting. Both of them. I just don't like being out of the loop when it comes to my kids."

"It is part of being the parent of a teenaged daughter, Olivia. We will figure out what is going on now about the time they turn thirty."

"Just take your daughter to get her shoes. And don't let her talk you into buying anything but the cleats for softball. You get her in a shoe store and she goes wild. I have a grocery list on the counter. Tell Scott and Maureen hello for me, kiss the kids and tell them I will see them tomorrow for lunch after church."

"Are they still coming over here?"

"Yes. And I am making fried chicken, so don't forget the potatoes. And the milk for the macaroni and cheese, that is Gabby's favorite."

"If she's sick is it safe to have them over here?"

"If she isn't feeling better by tomorrow morning, then I will stay home with her and you and Bailey can go to church. But I really don't think she is contagious. It is…girl stuff," Olivia informed him.

"Oh, okay. That is all I need to know. Should I pick something up for her? Soup or clear soda?"

"Chocolate," Olivia said with a smile.

"Chocolate?"

"Great for PMS."

"I'll take your word on that."

Olivia smiled and kissed him. A few minutes later he and Bailey were out the door.

Olivia buzzed around the house for a couple of hours doing her weekend cleaning. As she started the laundry she made her way upstairs to pull the clothes from Elliot's hamper and the girls' rooms.

She knocked gently on Aubrey's bedroom door and listened for a moment before opening it and stepping inside. Aubrey was curled up sleeping on her bed. Olivia walked toward her and knelt beside the bed. She watched as her daughter seemed to be resting peacefully. She stretched her hand out and brushed back a few strands of Aubrey's dark hair.

Olivia placed her palm against the girl's forehead. Aubrey moved and groaned a little as she rolled over to look at her mother.

"Hey sweetheart," Olivia spoke like she did when her kids were little and sick. But Aubrey didn't seem to mind. Infact, she found it comforting. And right now as hard as it was to express, she really needed her mother to comfort her. "Are you feeling any better?"

"A little," Aubrey said forcing a smile and fighting back tears.

"Are you hungry? I was thinking about starting some lunch. Any ideas?"

"Not really."

"I can fix whatever you like. Or I can call daddy and have him and Bailey bring something home."

"I'm not really hungry," she said shifting her eyes toward the window so Olivia wouldn't see the single teat that fell from the corner of her eye.

"Can I sit down?" Olivia asked.

Aubrey slid over making room in the bed as Olivia laid back on the bed beside her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Olivia asked.

"About what?"

Olivia stared into Aubrey's blue eyes. It killed her to know her daughter was in some kind of pain and she had no idea what was wrong or how to help her.

"Whatever it is that is bothering you."

"Just cramps, mom."

Olivia exhaled softly and closed her eyes, she knew this wasn't going to be easy. Her children got their stubbornness from her. Aubrey wasn't going to talk, until Aubrey was good and ready to talk.

She turned her head and focused on Aubrey's sapphire eyes. "Baby, I know this is more than just cramps. Something else is bothering you and I really wish you would just talk to me."

Aubrey pressed her lips nervously together as tears began to build up behind her eyes once more.

"Is it a boy?" Olivia asked.

"It's nothing mom," she said softly. "This was you're idea wasn't it?"

"What's that?"

"Divide and conquer. Not really dad's style. You think that if you interrogate us separately you will get us to talk and find out what is going on. But there's nothing mom."

"Well, you know that if you ever want to talk about…._nothing, _daddy and I are always here for you."

"Yeah," Aubrey said forcing a smile.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Olivia smiled and kissed her daughter's forehead as stood to finish gathering the laundry. She turned to walk out of the room and give her daughter a little privacy.

"Mom," she heard softly from behind her.

"Yeah, baby?"

"Can you stay with me? Just for a little while."

Olivia smiled and climbed back onto the bed wrapping her arms tight around Aubrey. "I'll stay as long as you like."


	5. 5 Deep Trouble

_**My Sister's Secret**_

_**(Chapter Five: Deep Trouble)**_

**Bailey and Elliot returned home late that afternoon with four pairs of shoes and Chinese take out.**

"**I'm gonna go show Aubrey my new heels," Bailey said running up the stairs.**

**Olivia turned and looked at Elliot as she folded her arms in front of her. **

"**Those aught to look nice out on the ball field," she said with a sly smile.**

"**There was a sale."**

"**Yeah?"**

"**Yeah. Buy one get one half off."**

"**Did you get the cleats?"**

"**The cleats, two pairs of running shoes and the heels."**

"**How did she talk you into it?"**

"**The sale. And the fact that she and Aubrey wear the same size. She could have a very successful career in sales someday."**

**Olivia laughed. **

"**How's Aubrey?"**

"**No fever or anything. Just feeling under the weather."**

"**You get anything out of her?"**

"**Nope. You have any luck with Bailey?"**

"**No. They are good."**

**Olivia smiled again. "They are good."**

"**They are stubborn."**

"**Right," she agreed.**

"**And they get it from you."**

"**Right again," she said patting him on the back as she kissed his cheek and moved to set the table. "Girls, dinner!" She called up the stairs.**

**Elliot sat the grocery bags on the counter and began to the items away. The girls came down the stairs and sat down at the table for dinner.**

"**Hey baby," Elliot said looking at Aubrey who could barely look him in the eye.**

"**Hi dad," she replied softly.**

"**You hungry? Mom said you haven't really eaten anything today."**

"**A little."**

"**I got beef and broccoli. Your favorite."**

**Aubrey smiled. "Thank you, daddy."**

"**You are very welcome honey," Elliot said kissing the top of her head.**

"**And for dessert, rocky road ice cream."**

"**Also my favorite," she laughed.**

"**Mom's favorite, too. I thought that might make you feel better. I love you, princess."**

"**Love you too, dad."**

**For the first time all day Aubrey actually enjoyed a meal. They sat down to dinner as a family and ate together. And for that half an hour, everything was normal again.**

* * *

**Monday morning things seemed to be returning to normal as the girls went running with their mother. Olivia watched as they gathered their things and climbed into the back of her black SUV. Everything seemed fine when she pulled up in front of their school and dropped her daughters off that day. **

**But everything was not fine. Infact in just a few hours Olivia would soon learn how far from fine things really were.**

**It was just after two o'clock in the afternoon when Elliot received the voicemail. **

* * *

"**You okay, Bre?" Bailey asked closing her locker door.**

"**Fine, I just can't wait for this stupid day to be over so I can go home."**

"**Hey, a couple of more hours and the day is over."**

"**Yeah," Aubrey agreed.**

"**At least you have art class next. That is fairly easy. I'm stuck in History. BORING!" Bailey exhaled. "Meet me back here after class for lunch, okay?"**

"**I will," Aubrey agreed.**

**Bailey hugged her sister and slipped the strap of her back pack over her arm. "I love you, Bre."**

"**I love you too, Bailey."**

"**We'd better get to class before the bell rings."**

**After class the girls met up at their lockers, then headed to the cafeteria for lunch. **

"**I am starving," Bailey said as she picked up a tray and got in line.**

"**I'm not really hungry. Can you just get me a soda? I'll get us a table."**

"**Okay."**

**A few minutes later Bailey sat down beside Aubrey with two Diet Cokes and a tray full of food. **

"**Eat lately?" Aubrey asked looking at the mound of food on the tray.**

"**I didn't know what I wanted. And I figured you could help me finish it. I got a salad, nachos and a turkey sandwich."**

"**Bailey, I told you I'm not hungry."**

"**Please, eat something. Here," Bailey said taking half the sandwich and setting it on a napkin for Aubrey. "You have to eat something."**

**Aubrey picked up the sandwich and took a bite. She looked up at Bailey, who smiled at her. **

"**It's gonna be okay Aubrey," Bailey whispered.**

**After lunch was study hall for both girls, where notes were being passed and whispers circling the room about a kid who had died over the weekend. **

"**I wonder who he is?" Bailey asked overhearing Lisa tell her sister about it.**

"**I don't know," Lisa replied, "but I heard he was shot in the back."**

"**No, he hung himself," another girl replied from across the room.**

"**Whatever it was, I heard the cops are ruling it murder. They said he was at some party Friday night and when home and climbed in bed. Someone must have followed him, because the next morning they found him with his head bashed in!" Stated Ralph Johnson III, a boy from Bailey's Chemistry class who was the third member of his family cursed with the awful name.**

"**Gross!" Lisa declared.**

"**Seriously Ralph," Bailey said with a glare, "why do you have to be so graphic?"**

"**Yeah!" Lisa agreed. "And right after lunch!"**

"**I would think the two of you could handle a bit of graphic grossness. I thought **_**mommy and daddy **_**were cops? Haven't you seen like dead bodies and stuff before?" Ralph asked, half just being a jerk and half really curious about the answer.**

"**We saw my grandma at the funeral home when we were about six. But it wasn't gross or graphic."**

"**No! I mean like pictures of bloody, severed heads and stuff."**

**Bailey just stared at him, his question unworthy of an answer.**

**Lisa laughed. "Really, Ralph? Like, no wonder you don't have a date for the homecoming dance!"**

"**That is right ladies! I am still available! I have turned down numerous invitations to make sure my dance card stays open for one of you," he said leaning toward Aubrey. **

**She pulled back and wrinkled her nose as she glared at him. "So, not gonna happen."**

"**What about you, my love?" He asked turning to look at Bailey. "I realize as twins you probably share everything and I just want you to know that I understand. I'm cool with it!"**

"**Sorry Ralph," Bailey said standing as the bell rang.**

**As they walked through the hallway littered with adolescent high school students the heard a man's voice from behind them.**

"**Bailey Stabler?"**

"**Yes," she said before turning to look at the man in his police uniform.**

"**Is one of you, Bailey Stabler?"**

"**I am," she spoke up as the girls looked at each other. **

"**Bailey Olivia Stabler?"**

"**Last I checked," she snapped becoming annoyed at his repeating the question. Aubrey nudged Bailey with her elbow for being rude. "I mean yes, sir. I am Bailey Olivia Stabler. Is something wrong with my mom and dad?"**

"**No ma'am. But I am going to need you to come with me," he said pulling a pair of handcuffs from his belt.**

"**What?" She asked looking confused.**

"**Can you put your hands up against the lockers, please?" He instructed.**

**Bailey handed Aubrey her books and did as she was told.**

"**What is going on here?" Aubrey asked as Bailey looked back with tears in her eyes.**

"**Bailey Olivia Stabler, you are under arrest for the murder of Jeremy Briggs. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?"**

"**Umm….yes," she said through tears as the man cuffed her wrists behind her back and turned her to walk her toward his squad car. "Aubrey?" She called looking behind her at her sister.**

"**I'll call mom and dad," Aubrey replied about to cry as well. And for the first time the sisters realized exactly who the dead kid from their school was.**


	6. 6 Breaking The News

_My Sister's Secret_

_(Chapter Six: Breaking The News)_

"What the Hell do you mean sending in uniforms to arrest my kid!?!" Elliot yelled as he slammed his fists down on Cragen's desk infuriated.

"It was done by the books," Cragen attempted to defend the work of the uniformed officers. "They were just following an order."

"You could have given me the courtesy of a phone call!" Elliot barked as he paced the floor. "I would have brought her in, you know that!"

"I had no say in the matter. She is my granddaughter, Elliot! You think I don't want to protect her? This happened in our precinct. But due to the and I quote 'special circumstances' they brought in uniforms to do the arrest. The orders came from above me. I had no choice."

"This is ridiculous! Bailey is a fifteen year old girl. She's a kid! You and I both know she isn't capable of murdering anyone!"

"Elliot if I have learned anything doing this job it is that kids are just a capable as adults at committing horrific crimes."

Elliot glared at him.

"I am not saying she did it! Or that I think she did it! I want her to be innocent as much as you do. And I am sure that somewhere a very big mistake has been made and I assure you if that is the case someone will pay for it. But right now we have to work this case as we would any other. Bailey cannot have special treatment because she is your child and my grandchild. We can hold her here for a while. Stall a bit on her questioning and run it later into the night. Then I could 'wait for Haung' and I'm sure it will take a while for the family lawyer to arrive. I can probably keep her from the tombs tonight. I have her in a holding cell by herself right now. She'll have court in the morning. Maybe if we are lucky, since she has never been in any trouble they will let her go home with you until the actual trial. But she is in a lot of trouble Elliot. Munch and Fin have been working the case from the start, I am keeping them on it until someone tells me I have to remove them. Go home and be with Aubrey and Olivia. I will keep an eye on her tonight."

"Not a chance. Olivia can stay with Aubrey. If she has to spend the night in a holding cell, there is no way I am leaving tonight."

"You should go be with her. She needs her family right now."

"Yeah," Elliot said as he walked out of Cragen's office and toward the bullpen.

As he did, Olivia walked in.

"What the Hell is going on?" She asked. "I got a voicemail….are the kids alright?"

"Bailey was arrested," Elliot informed her. "I got a voicemail, too. This is so fucked up!" He exhaled and scratched the back of his head. "You!" He said snapping at John Munch as he entered the room. "You knew they were going to arrest my kid and you couldn't tell me?"

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Fin interrupted pushing his way between the two men knowing that Elliot was just pissed enough to snap Munch like a pencil. "We didn't get the results back until a few hours ago. We didn't even know until right before it all went down. And he did call you. We both did, numerous times. You have both been in court all morning. We had to leave voicemails. We don't like this any better than you do, Elliot. But the evidence proves she was involved."

"What evidence?" Olivia asked.

Fin and Munch looked at each other.

"What evidence?" Elliot repeated her question.

"Her fingerprints on a bloody ashtray. The weapon that was used to hit the victim in the head, causing blunt force trauma. I'm sorry you guys. But it doesn't look good."

"God no," Olivia said combing her fingers through her hair. "Aubrey?"

"Still at school," Fin answered. "I called them and asked them to hold her there. I am on my way to pick her up now."

"Can we see Bailey?" She asked as she started to cry.

Munch looked over his shoulder at Cragen, who nodded his approval.

"Yeah, I'll walk you back."

"El?" She asked looking back at him. "I'm gonna work on finding her a good attorney. Call Kathleen."

"Okay," Olivia said as she walked back to the holding cell's to see their daughter.

* * *

"Dad?" Kathleen's voice sounded confused for a moment when she answered.

"Yeah honey, is this a bad time? I have something really important I need to talk to you about."

"Not a bad time. I just never get calls from you."

"Nice to hear from you, too dear."

Kathleen laughed. "It is very nice to hear from you dad. What's up?"

"Bailey is in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"Deep trouble. They arrested her today for the murder of a teenaged boy."

"Oh my gosh!"

"It's bad, Kathleen. She needs our help. I don't know anyone else. I was hoping maybe you could…"

"Daddy, I can't defend her. It would be unethical because we are family. Besides, I would never be able to forgive myself if I defended my sister and lost and she spent her life in prison because I messed up."

"Kathleen please, I don't know who else to call."

"I will make a few calls and see what I can do dad. I think I know someone who would help out. And he is a really good."

"Thank you baby. Give me a call if you find anything out."

"I will dad."

"Kathleen."

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, dad. Give Bailey a hug for me and tell her that I love her and I am going to do everything I can to help."

"I will."

Elliot closed the phone and walked to the soda machine. He exhaled deeply and dropped a couple of quarters into it as he pressed the button. He leaned against the wall for a moment trying to think of what to say to Bailey when he saw her, but nothing came to mind.

He knew his little girl must be terrified right now. Arrested for murder and thrown in jail. Unsure of what her future holds. He knew this, because he was terrified as well. How on Earth could sweet little Bailey have gotten mixed up in something this horrible?"

Elliot walked to the room off the back of the bullpen where the holding cells were located. Olivia was sitting in a chair beside the cage that held their child as she attempted to comfort her. As Elliot approached Bailey looked up at him with her puppy dog eyes and her tear stained face. He had so many questions right now. He wanted to yell and cry and react to every emotion that was causing the rapid pounding in his chest. But none of that would help his daughter now.

"Hey baby," Elliot said kneeling beside his wife to kiss his youngest child through the bars of her jail cell.

"Daddy, I'm so sorry," the girl sobbed as tears streamed down her face.

Elliot could tell it broke her heart to think that she had disappointed her parents.

"It's okay baby," he said handing her a Diet Coke between the bars. "I called Kathleen and she is going to help find you a good lawyer. And before long we are going to get this whole mess sorted out."

"She can't be my lawyer?"

"She isn't really supposed to honey. Because you are family. But she is going to find someone really good," he said combing his fingers through her hair.

"Bailey, what happened?" Olivia asked.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Honey, you are going to have to. If we can't figured out how this went down then we cant build a defense for you. You will go to prison for killing that boy," Elliot said a bit harsher than he intended.

"Not now. I just don't want to talk about it."

"Bailey, they have evidence that proves you were there with that boy. Your finger prints are on the weapon that killed him. Baby, if you just talk to us we can help you," Elliot said staring her in the eye.

Bailey stood up and walked to the back of the cell taking a seat on the bench. She exhaled deeply and combed her fingers through her hair as she stared at the wall.

"You guys would never understand. No one will."

"Sweetheart, daddy and I are not going to be angry with you. We just need to understand what is going on here. You were at that party? Is that why you don't want to talk about it?"

"Yes," she said in a shaky voice. "I mean yes, I was at the party. But that isn't why I don't want to talk about it. I just don't, okay!"

"Not okay," Elliot snapped. "There are a lot of people here who have questions, Bailey. And so far we are not getting a lot of answers. Your mother asked you what happened and I suggest you answer her young lady!"

Bailey turned and stared at him with sorrow in her eyes, but didn't say a word. The room was quiet for a few moments and the silence was maddening Elliot.

"I can't," she replied softly pulling her knees to her chest as she stared at the sunlight through the barred window at the back of her cage.

"Damn it!" Elliot growled swiping up her empty soda can from the floor and throwing it hard against the wall. He stomped out of the room and back into the bullpen slamming the door behind him.

Bailey shifted her eyes to meet Olivia's in silence for a moment. "Daddy has never been this mad at me before," she said as tears of heartache welled up in her eyes.

"He isn't mad, baby. He's scared," Olivia said through her own tears. "We all are. But we love you. More than anything, we love you and we want to help you through this. We're sitting here watching this all happen and we can't do anything to help. Not unless you tell us the truth about what happened that night. You went to the party….did you sneak out?"

"Yes."

"And Aubrey?"

"I don't want to talk about Aubrey."

"Bailey, please tell me what you could have possibly done to make them think that you killed a boy!"

"I killed him, mom. I didn't mean to, but I did it. I am guilty. And maybe I should go to jail."

"Please tell me what happened."

"I can't," Bailey answered through tears. "I made a promise. And I wont betray that trust. I am sorry mom, but that is all I can say."

"Who are you protecting?"

Bailey shifted a bit on her bench and returned her attention to the window. Her side of this conversation was over.


	7. 7 Coming Clean

_My Sister's Secret_

_(Chapter Seven: Coming Clean)_

It was nearly ten o'clock at night and Bailey now rested on the bunk in the holding cell. Elliot paced the floor trying to think of some way to fix this mess and Olivia had walked Aubrey back to the cribs to lay down for a little while.

Olivia walked back into the bullpen as Elliot poured himself another cup of coffee. "How is she doing?" He asked.

"I sat with her until she fell asleep. She knows something, Elliot. But she isn't talking."

"There seems to be a lot of that going around," he mumbled handing her a coffee cup as well. "Maybe you should take her home and the two of you try to get a little rest. I can stay here with Bailey tonight."

"I am not leaving here until this mess is at least under control and I know what is going on."

"Maybe she can help," Elliot nodding toward the elevator as Casey stepped off and walked into the room with them.

"Casey," Olivia sighed.

"I heard what happened. I am so sorry. I know it is late but I figured you guys would be here. I wanted to come over here and tell you in person that my boss has asked me to work this case."

"Oh thank God," Olivia replied with a smile. "We were really starting to worry. We had not found her an attorney yet."

Casey stared at her for a moment and blinked her eyes. "No, Olivia. He asked me to prosecute Bailey for that boy's murder. I don't have much of a choice. He sensed my hesitation and told me that I either try the case or lose my job. I just wanted you to hear it from me and not be hit with it in the courtroom. I'm sorry."

Olivia closed her eyes and held her breath for a moment as she turned and walked back to her desk. "Thank you for coming here, Casey."

"Elliot," Casey said looking up at him.

"We understand. And in some sick twisted fate sort of way I guess we probably should have seen it coming. You are a prosecutor. That is what you do for a living. Now, if you will excuse us….we have some work to do."

Casey nodded with tears in her eyes as she turned and walked back to the elevator. Never would she have thought that her career would cause her to betray two of her closest friends.

* * *

It was almost one in the morning when Olivia walked Aubrey into their house. She followed her daughter up the stairs toward her bedroom.

"Bailey has court in the morning. It is not the actual trial, just kind of a run through of what they have so far. Then they will decide if they will let her come home or hold her in jail until the real trial. Do you want to go?" Olivia asked watching the tears rise in Aubrey's eyes.

"Yeah. I think I need to be there. To support her. She needs us."

"You are a really good sister, you know that?"

Aubrey curled up on her bed and began to cry. Olivia exhaled softly and laid down on the bed beside her. She combed her fingers through Aubrey's hair and stared into her eyes.

"It's going to be alright baby," She whispered softly as she kissed her daughter's forehead.

"It's all my fault mom," she sobbed. "I was the one who talked her into going to that party. She didn't even want to go."

"Aubrey this isn't your fault because you encouraged her to sneak out. Your sister makes her own decisions."

"No mom, you don't understand." Aubrey looked at her and took a deep breath. "Something happened at that party," she said softly looking up at her mother from her pillow.

"Aubrey, what is going on?"

"Mom….he raped me," she breathed.

"What baby?"

"I said he _raped_ me," she gasped. "Jeremy Briggs raped me at that party."

Olivia tried to hold it together for her little girl, but she could feel the heat of her tears as they streamed down her face. "Baby, I am so sorry."

She leaned forward and wrapped Aubrey tight in her arms, holding her as they cried together. They laid quietly together for a little while until they had both calmed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Olivia asked brushing her fingers through Aubrey's dark hair and kissing her forehead.

"I was so stupid, mom. We went to the party because I wanted a tattoo. I talked Bailey in to sneaking out with me. She really didn't even want to go. Now she's in so much trouble and it is all my fault!"

"Shhh. Aubrey, calm down sweetheart. Tell me what happened."

"When we got there Jason, he is Jeremy's cousin and he goes to school with us, he introduced me to Jeremy. Bailey wanted to leave, but I wanted to talk to Jeremy about the tattoo. I followed him upstairs to Jason's room where he showed me a book of tattoo pictures to get ideas for mine. Bailey waited for me downstairs. The next thing I know he had his hands around my throat and was choking me. He threw me on the bed and tore my clothes off. And he…he…he raped me."

"Aubrey, honey…."

"I begged him to stop mom. I tried to scream and I hit him and told him, no. But nothing worked. He held his hands on my throat and I could barely breathe. Bailey got bored and came up looking for me. He was still….she walked in while he was…."

"Aubrey, what did she do?"

"She screamed at him and jumped on the bed. She hit him in the back with her fist until he let go of me. There was an ashtray beside the bed and she picked it up and threw it at him. It hit him, but he didn't die mom. He ran out of the room and back downstairs to the party. Bailey helped me get dressed and we took a cab home. But he was alive when we left mom. Please, you can't let her go to prison over this. It wasn't her fault. I made her promise not to tell anyone. She was trying to protect me and now she might spend the rest of her life in prison."

"Sweetheart, you could have come to me and daddy. We would have helped you."

"I know mom," she sobbed. "I just felt so ashamed. And so stupid for letting it happen. I knew I wasn't supposed to be at that party. I snuck out and then I went upstairs alone with a guy I didn't even know."

"You made mistakes, Aubrey. But that does not give him the right to rape you and hurt you the way he did. That does not mean that you in any way deserved this or that it is your fault."

"But it isn't Bailey's fault either. We have to help her mom."

"We are going to do everything we can to keep her out of prison. But I think for right now you should try to get some rest."

Olivia scooted in beside Aubrey holding her for a while until she had closed her eyes and fallen asleep. She sighed softly and kissed the back of her daughter's head as she slipped from the bed.

Olivia pulled the throw blanket form the chair across the room and covered Aubrey with it then turned to leave the room. She had to somehow call and explain this all to Elliot.

"Elliot, we have a big problem," she whispered.

"Liv, what's going on?" He could tell by the sound of her voice that she had been crying.

"Elliot, Jeremy Briggs raped her."

"Bailey was raped?"

"Not Bailey," she said softly. "He raped Aubrey. Bailey walked in on him doing it. She tried to run him off. She threw the ashtray at him to get him away from Aubrey. Aubrey said he ran out of the room. She said they didn't realize he was even dead until Bailey was arrested."

"This boy raped Aubrey. And Bailey killed him accidentally while trying to protect her?"

"That is what Aubrey says."

"We have got to get a damn good lawyer."

"Have you heard back from Kathleen?"

"She can't reach this guy she recommended. She is going to be there tomorrow. She'll try to get him in here before the actual trial. Baby you should try to get some rest tonight. How is Aubrey doing?"

"She is good, considering. She is asleep."

"Court is at ten."

"She wants to be there for Bailey."

"Liv, we need to introduce this information about the rape. I know it is going to be hard on her, but Bailey really needs the whole truth or she doesn't stand a chance. Olivia, you know that."

"I'll talk to her."

"You should bring her in a little early and let her walk through the events with Kathleen. They might want to put her on the stand anyway because she was at that party with Bailey."

"How did this get so far out of hand, Elliot? How could our babies be in so much trouble and we didn't even know? How could she have been raped and we never noticed? What kind of aprents are we?"

"Olivia, getting all worked up about it is not going to help Aubrey. It wont help either of them. They need us right now. Get some rest honey. All we can do right now is be there for them."

"I guess you're right."

"Give Aubrey a kiss for me and tell her I love her."

"I will."

"Olivia, I love you, too."

"And I love you."

"Good night, baby."

"Good night, El."

She hung up her cell phone and walked back down the hall to Aubrey's room. She watched for a moment as her daughter slept. Olivia leaned across the edge of the bed to gently kiss Aubrey's forehead.

"Good night baby girl," she whispered softly. "Daddy and I love you so much."

She made sure Aubrey was tucked in good then turned to go to her own room for the remainder of the night.

"Momma," she heard softly from behind her.

"Yeah sweetheart?"

"Can you stay with me tonight?"

Olivia walked back to the bed as Aubrey stood up and pulled the blankets down then climbed back into it.

"Okay," she answered as she laid down beside her daughter and pulled the blankets up around them both.

Aubrey looked into her eyes for a moment. "You told daddy, didn't you?"

Olivia wasn't sure what to say to her.

"It's alright mom. He needed to know. And before long everyone will know. You and dad know. And before long grandpa and uncle Fin and uncle Munch will know. And once it comes out everyone at school will know, too."

"Aubrey, listen to me. Daddy and I, grandpa and uncle Fin and uncle Munch, we all love you. No one is going to judge you. We all want what is best for you. We are all going to be here for you, we want to help you get better and heal from this."

"I don't think I will ever get over this."

"I know baby."

Aubrey laid her head against her mother's chest as Olivia closed her arms around her daughter. Olivia kissed her forehead as she combed her fingers through Aubrey's hair and just held tight to her.

"I know people from work. People you can talk to. And they can help you through this. I know sometimes it is hard to talk to your mom about things."

"I talk to you. I like talking to you."

"I like talking to you too, honey."

"You think I should go into therapy?"

"There is nothing wrong with talking to someone if it helps you. It is your decision. But if you think it is something that you would like to try, I just want you to know that it is an option. We should also take you to the doctor. Just to have them check things out and make sure you are alright. I can call in the morning and make you an appointment with my doctor."

"A gynocologist?"

"Yes. She will just examine you and make sure that you are okay on the inside. Probably give you some antibiotics to prevent infections and something to help prevent pregnancy."

"I don't really need birth control mom. I mean, I don't have sex. And after this I am sure it will be a long time before I ever even think about it."

"This will pass, honey. You will heal. It might take a long time, but you will. And some day down the road you will meet your Prince Charming and fall in love. And he will treat you good and love you and it will happen for you. And when you are ready and it does, it will be wonderful. You just have to wait for the right guy to come along."

"Prince Charming, mom?" Aubrey asked with a smile.

"Hey, daddy is still my Prince Charming. It is so good to see you smile again."

"I guess I am feeling a little better."

"We should try to get some rest. We should go to the courthouse a little early so that we can talk to Kathleen and you can tell her what you told me."

"What if I can't do it mom? What if I can't get up on the stand and tell a bunch of strangers what he did to me?"

"Tomorrow it will just be the lawyers and the judge and some of the family. If you are worried then we could practice it."

"Practice?"

"Yeah. You just tell me, over and over again until you are comfortable telling the story. Sometimes that helps. It is not going to be easy, Aubrey. For you or for Bailey. The prosecuting attourney, in this case Casey, is going to ask a bunch of questions. Tough questions. Sometimes she will ask the same thing several different ways just to see if your story will change."

"Casey doesn't believe us? Why would she try to put Bailey in jail?"

"She doesn't have a choice. That is her job. But as long as you tell the truth, you have nothing to worry about."

"I hope you are right."

"Me, too."

Aubrey yawned. "I love you, mom."

"I love you, too. Good night, baby."

Aubrey nestled her face in against her mother like she used to do when she was a toddler and moments later mother and daughter were both asleep.


	8. 8 Grand Jury

_My Sister's Secret_

_(Chapter Eight: Grand Jury)_

Olivia sat on a bench outside the courtroom with Aubrey waiting for the bailiff to come and get them so Aubrey could tell her story to the grand jury. Aubrey sat still barely breathing and said nothing as she stared at the floor.

"It is going to be alright," Olivia assured her. "Just tell them the truth. Tell them what happened, just like you did with Kathleen." She combed her fingers through her daughters hair and watched Aubrey fidget in her seat.

"What if I can't mom?" Aubrey stood from the bench and began to pace the floor. "What if I can't tell a bunch of strangers what he did to me?"

"Baby, I know it is hard. But I know you can do this. We just have to get through the trial and then this will all be over. You are strong Aubrey, you can do this."

By now the girl was crying and Olivia could tell she was scared.

"I don't know mom," she whispered softly. "Maybe I am not strong. I don't think I can do this. Those things he did to me, they are private. I don't think I can say it on the stand."

"Bre, you just go in there and tell them the story. Every detail of what he did to you. You tell the truth and I promise you that you will feel much better after it is over. Kind of like confession. Those people in there are not here to judge you."

Just then the bailiff stepped out of the courtroom and signaled to Olivia. "They are ready for you now," he said looking at Aubrey.

Aubrey's eyes filled with tears as she looked back at Olivia.

"But mom, grandpa is in there. And uncle Fin and uncle Munch. And daddy," she sobbed.

"Honey, daddy already knows what happened."

"I know, but I can't say those bad things in front of him. I can't, please mom. I don't want to."

Olivia hugged her daughter as Elliot looked up at her from inside the courtroom. He stood up and made his way toward the hall outside to see what was going on.

Olivia knelt in front of Aubrey and looked up at her. She wiped tears from her daughter's face much like she used to do when Aubrey was little.

"I will talk to daddy. But those people are in there to support you and Bailey. If you want daddy and I to wait out here, then we will understand."

"I want you to come in. But can daddy wait outside?"

"Sure, sweetheart." Olivia kissed her daughter. "Why don't you go on in with him?" She asked pointing to the bailiff. "I will talk to your father and be right in. I promise."

"Okay. Thank you mom."

"You are welcome, honey."

Elliot stepped out into the hall as Aubrey followed the bailiff.

"Liv, we'd better get in here or they are going to start without us."

"Elliot can we talk for a minute?"

"Baby, what's going on?"

"Nothing bad. I didn't mean to scare you. It is just that Aubrey is having a little trouble dealing with getting up on the stand and telling everyone what that boy did to her."

"Is she alright now?"

"Yeah, but she isn't comfortable having you in there."

"What?"

"Elliot, she is about to give graphic details about how that boy raped her. She doesn't want to say those things in front of her father."

"I guess I understand that. I want to be here for her, however I best support her. Her and Bailey. Will she let you go in?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to explain it to you first."

"You should get in there. She needs at least one of us in there with her. I will wait right here until she is finished."

Olivia kissed him, then headed inside. She took a seat in the third row and looked up at Aubrey who smiled at her from the stand. Olivia watched as Kathleen encouraged her sister to share with the jury the events that took place the night of her attack. Aubrey fidgeted uncomfortably as she told her story. Half way through she began to cry. She paused for a moment and looked up at her mother. Olivia smiled back at her with tears in her eyes and mouthed the words _I love you_. Aubrey took a staggered breath and continued with her story.

Olivia shifted her eyes to watch Casey's reaction to every word the girl said. It was breaking her heart to have to prosecute this case, but Olivia understood why she was doing so.

Elliot paced the floor in the hallway in front of the courtroom. He raised his head to look at Olivia as she walked out of the courtroom.

"How did it go?"

"It went well, she did really good."

"Is she alright?"

"A little emotional, but she'll be okay. She asked me to go get daddy."

Elliot hugged his wife and fought back tears as they walked back in to the courtroom where they took a seat beside Aubrey. Elliot wrapped his arm around his daughter and kissed the side of her head.

"I love you baby. And I am so proud of you," he whispered as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"I love you too daddy," she whispered into his chest.

They watched for a while as Kathleen tried to convince the jury to send her sister home and into the care of her parents until the actual trial. Bailey was a good student who had never been in trouble a day in her life. So Casey was quick to agree that she could go home with her parents until trial, provided she follow a strict curfew and was not out of her parents sight at any point during her release. She was a good kid and Casey was pretty sure she had been scared straight.

* * *

Olivia picked up take out from the girls' favorite restaurant on the way home to celebrate. Bailey and Aubrey helped set the table for a family style dinner. After dinner they put in a DVD and sat around the living room playing board games with the kids.

"Why do we always have to play Clue?" Elliot asked sitting down between his daughters.

"Because it's Bailey's favorite game," Olivia pointed out.

"I figured it would be yours," he said pointing to Aubrey who smiled at him. "You always win."

"That is because she cheats," Bailey announced. "She is always Miss Scarlet and she always wins. I think she counts the cards," she teased.

"I don't think you can count cards in Clue," Olivia laughed. "Maybe she just has a great attention to detail."

"Maybe she does," Bailey replied with a smile, "but I am winning this game."

"We'll see about that," Aubrey said rolling the dice.

Just then the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Olivia said standing from her seat in the floor.

"But mom, it is your turn," Aubrey said in protest.

"You roll for me," she said leaning over to kiss the top of Aubrey's head. "I trust you."

Aubrey smiled and picked up the dice to roll for her mother's turn.

Olivia opened the door to see a familiar face. There standing on the front stoop was Casey staring back at her.

"Casey, you shouldn't be here."

"Mom?" Bailey called from behind her. "You're not supposed to be here," she said looking at Casey.

"It's okay Bailey," Olivia assured her.

"Dad ate all of the popcorn," Bailey said standing there holding the empty bowl.

"There is more in the pantry."

"Okay," Bailey said softly as she walked toward the kitchen.

"What are you doing here Casey? You can't talk to her until after the trial. And I know you weren't in the neighborhood, because you are fifteen miles outside of the city."

"Actually, I came here to talk to you. Please, Liv."

Olivia stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her.

"Feel like a walk?"

Casey smiled and nodded. They walked down the street a few blocks together saying nothing.

Olivia exhaled deeply and looked over at Casey. "Elliot and I bought this house because we liked the neighborhood."

"It is a nice neighborhood."

"The girls were three and about to enter preschool. It was what was best for our family. I grew up in the city and I didn't think I could ever see myself living in the suburbs. I was a city girl all the way. But things change when you become a mother."

"With all of the horrible things you see at work every day, I could understand why you would decide to move to the suburbs to raise your children."

"But horrible things happen here too, Casey. None of this would have ever happened if we would have just stayed in the city."

"You don't know that."

"I brought them here to protect them. Now one daughter has been raped and the other stands trial for murder. I shouldn't even be talking to you."

"Olivia, I came to tell you that I am not comfortable prosecuting Bailey for that boy's murder."

"Well, I am not exactly comfortable with it either Casey. But I don't see how either of us has a choice."

"No, Olivia. What I am trying to say is…. I did have a choice. I made my choice."

Olivia stopped walking and stared at her. "Did?"

"After court this morning I had a lot to think about. I went and spoke to the D.A. I stepped down from the case, Liv."

"Casey?"

"I couldn't put a fifteen year old child in prison for accidentally killing the boy who raped her sister. I have known these kids since they were born. And I know them both well enough to know that Bailey would never do a thing like that on purpose."

"What about your career?"

"I don't guess I have one anymore. When I resigned from the case I also resigned from my place at the District Attorney's office. As of four o'clock this afternoon, I am unemployed."

"Casey, I'm sorry."

"I'm not. This is what I should have don't to start with. Besides, I have been toying with the idea of opening my own firm. Now I will be able to."

"You just uprooted your entire life."

"It was for good cause. If I had fought and put Bailey in prison, I would never be able to live with myself. But if I had tried and lost the case I would have always felt as if I somehow let my personal bias get in the way of the case. I have not slept a single night since I was given this case. I was between a rock and a hard place. This was the only right choice for me. I made my choice and now I will accept the consequences for my actions."

"This just keeps spiraling out of control."

"Liv, the girls are in trouble. Both of them. This new guy they are bringing in to take over the case, he is ruthless. He is going to tear them apart on the stand. He will hit them hard and try to pick apart their stories to make them slip up. Bailey, I think might be able to handle it, but he is going to rip Aubrey apart. And Kathleen, I don't think she is seasoned enough to handle him. She needs help."

"She has been trying to reach a friend of hers to come in and help with the case."

"She needs someone experienced. This guy is going to be playing hardball. And he wont stop until he breaks them."

"Have you ever gone up against him in court?"

"A few times. He wiped the floor with me twice. The third time I had kind of figured out his methods so I knew what to expect."

"Casey, you can help her. You know what is coming, they don't. If you step up and work with Kathleen…."

"I don't know, Liv."

"Without you they don't stand a chance. Kathleen will lose the case, Bailey will go to prison and he will tear Aubrey apart on that stand. Between that and the guilt she already feels over Bailey being in trouble because of her rape, there is no telling what will happen to her. Casey, please. These are my children. Help them."

"Let me set up a meeting with Kathleen and see what she has to saw about this. You should probably talk the idea over with Elliot."

"Why don't you come back to the house and talk to him about it yourself?"

"I really shouldn't. Besides, I think I burned him when I took the case."

"He'll come around."


	9. 9 Skeletons

_**My Sister's Secret**_

_**(Chapter Nine: Skeletons)**_

"**Are you okay?" Casey asked looking over at Aubrey as they waited to enter the courtroom.**

"**I'm good," she said with a nervous smile.**

"**Would you like to go over it one more time?"**

"**No. I'll be okay. Just a little nervous."**

"**Your sister doesn't seem nervous at all," Casey said nodding in Bailey's direction.**

"**Bailey doesn't get nervous. Or if she does, you would never know it."**

"**This is gonna go just like the last time, only I will be the one asking you the questions instead of Kathleen. There is an actual jury this time, so try to make sure you include every detail you can remember of the attack. I know this is hard for you, but it is very important that the jury gets a clear picture of what happened that night. The other attorney, McHale Richards, is tough. He is going to say some awful things to try to make this look like it was all your fault. He is going to do what he can to try and make you look like a bad person and seem like the sex was consensual."**

"**It wasn't."**

"**I know. I believe you, we all do. But his job is to make that jury believe him, even if every word out of his mouth is garbage. I will do everything I can to keep him from walking all over you in court. But there will be some pretty tough questions that you will have to answer. Just tell the truth and you will be fine. If it gets tough on you take a deep breath and think about your answer for a moment. But wait a few seconds to give me the chance to object before you answer reply to anything he says. That way I can try to keep it from getting out of hand. The same goes for you," Casey said looking up at Bailey. **

"**Yeah sure," Bailey agreed. **

"**If either of you have skeletons in your closet, they are probably about to come out in open court."**

"**No ma'am," both girls answered at the same time.**

"**I'm going to go and see if they are ready for us," Casey said with a smile as she walked toward the door of the courtroom. **

**Aubrey was put on the stand first, revealing every detail of her attack. Then the prosecuting attorney McHale Richards began his questioning, spilling his usual courtroom jargon trying to confuse and belittle the honor student in front of his audience. Then when she was good and stirred up, came his real attack.**

"**Ms. Stabler, may I call you by your first name as to prevent confusion to the jury?"**

"**Yes, sir. Aubrey is fine," she spoke politely.**

"**Aubrey, you are a popular girl, aren't you?"**

"**I have a lot of friends, yes."**

"**And these popular friends, do they have a lot of parties?"**

"**Sometimes on the weekends or after a game, they have parties."**

"**How many parties would you say kids your age from your school have hosted during this school year?"**

"**Umm….several."**

"**Several, meaning two or three? Five? More than five? How many is several?"**

"**More than five."**

"**And was alcohol present at these parties?"**

"**I believe so, yes."**

"**You believe so?"**

"**Well, I wasn't at all of those parties. So, I really cannot say for sure."**

"**Good Girl," Olivia whispered as Aubrey cut him off at the pass.**

"**How many of those parties would you say you actually attended?"**

"**Two or three."**

"**Was it two or was it three?"**

**Aubrey looked over at her mother. "Three."**

"**And were your friends and classmates drinking at those three parties?"**

"**Yes."**

"**Were **_**you **_**drinking at those parties?"**

**Aubrey stared at her mother as Olivia nodded for her to continue.**

"**Yes. At two of them. But it was after winning a big game."**

"**But you are only fifteen years old! Is there some law I am unaware of that states that a fifteen year old high school student may legally consume alcohol at a party with her friends **_**only**_** after winning a big game?"**

"**No," she said softly.**

"**I'm sorry?"**

"**No," she said more clearly leaning in toward the microphone. **

"**What is the legal drinking age in the state of New York?"**

"**Twenty one."**

"**So you were aware of the fact that neither you or your friends were old enough to legally drink, but you did it anyway?"**

"**Yes."**

"**Did your parents give you permission to drink at these parties?"**

"**No. My parents didn't know that I went to the parties."**

"**You didn't asked their permission?"**

"**No."**

"**Why not?"**

"**Because they would have said no."**

"**Why do you think they would have said no?"**

"**Because….because there was alcohol there."**

"**So your parents do not allow their fifteen year old daughters to attend parties where alcohol is served to minors?"**

"**No, sir."**

"**Then how did you get to that party?"**

"**I snuck out my bedroom window and a friend picked me up down the street from my house."**

"**How old was this friend?"**

"**Sixteen."**

"**Did you consume alcohol at that party?"**

"**Yes."**

"**How much?"**

"**The first time only two beers. But the second party I went to I drank more."**

"**How much more?"**

"**About four glasses of this punch stuff that had some type of rum in it and a couple of shots of tequila."**

"**I'll bet you were feeling pretty bad the next morning."**

"**Yes, sir. I was hung over and sick."**

"**And your parents didn't notice? How did you hide the hang over from them?"**

"**I was at school. By the time I came home I was feeling better."**

"**And were you drinking alcohol the night of the party at the Briggs residence?"**

"**No, I wasn't."**

"**Was your sister, Bailey drinking at that party?"**

"**No sir, Bailey doesn't drink."**

"**But you drank at all of the other parties you went to and your friends were drinking at this party, why wouldn't you drink?"**

"**Because I learned my lesson when I got sick. And because I promised I wouldn't drink."**

"**Promised who?"**

"**My sister, Bailey."**

"**But if you lied to your parents about sneaking out and drinking before, why should we believe that you wouldn't break a promise to your sister about drinking at a party?"**

"**Because, I wouldn't. Because, I am telling the truth."**

"**So, you snuck out your bedroom window to go to this party and this time your sister went with you?"**

"**Yes." **

"**But you didn't go to the party to drink?"**

"**No."**

"**Then why did you go?"**

"**I went to talk to Jeremy Briggs."**

"**Jeremy Briggs, the boy you are **_**accusing**_** of raping you?"**

"**Objection your honor!" Casey exclaimed as she stood up from her seat.**

"**Overruled. But counselor, you may want to rephrase the question. You are walking on very thin ice." **

"**Aubrey, are you speaking of the victim?"**

"**Yes."**

"**And what did you have to talk about?"**

"**I wanted a tattoo and Jeremy gave tattoos to some of the kids from my school. I had already spoken to him over the phone, but had never met him in person until that night. I followed him upstairs to look at a book of tattoo designs to get an idea of what I wanted."**

"**You followed him upstairs?"**

"**Yes."**

"**Did he force you? Did he drag you?"**

"**No."**

"**Was Jeremy drinking?"**

"**Not that I saw, no. But he kind of acted like he had been."**

"**But you did not see him consume any alcohol?"**

"**No."**

"**Once the two of you were upstairs, where did you go?"**

"**Jeremy said that the book was in his cousin Jason's bedroom. So we went in there to look at it."**

"**Let me see if I have this straight. You had not met Jeremy Briggs in person until that night?"**

"**No."**

"**So he was a stranger to you?"**

"**I guess so, yes."**

"**So you followed a strange man, who acted as if he had been drinking up the stairs away from the crowd and into a bedroom where the two of you could be alone together?"**

**Aubrey was quiet and Casey could tell she was about to cry.**

"**Yes," she said softly.**

"**What did you think was going to happen?"**

"**Objection, your honor! He is badgering the witness!"**

"**Sustained! Mr. Richards, this is your last warning! One more stunt like that and I will hold you in contempt!"**

"**So Aubrey, what happened when the two of you entered the bedroom?"**

**She looked to Casey for approval to continue before answering his question. "Jeremy handed me the book and we began to talk about tattoo ideas."**

"**Please continue."**

"**I was standing in front of a desk with my back to the bed and looking through the pages of the book."**

"**Where was Mr. Briggs?"**

"**Behind me by the bed. He walked over to the nightstand and lit a cigarette. He was telling me about a butterfly tattoo he had given a girl. He said he was going to show me the picture, he thought I would like it."**

"**Then what?"**

"**He put out the cigarette and walked over to the desk. He was standing to my left and turning the pages of the book. He showed me the tattoo design and as I was looking at it, he attacked me."**

"**Attacked you, how?"**

"**He started choking me. I tried to fight him off, but I couldn't. He dragged me to the bed and tore off my clothes and raped me."**

"**Where was your sister while this was going on?"**

"**Waiting for me downstairs."**

"**At what point did your sister attack Jeremy Briggs?"**

"**Bailey came upstairs looking for me. She walked into the room while Jeremy was on top of me. She screamed at him to stop. Then she ran over and jumped on the bed. She hit him in the back with her fist until he pulled away from me. He backed away as she threw the ashtray. It hit him with it, then he ran out of the room. Bailey helped me dress and we went home."**

"**When did you learn that Jeremy Briggs was dead?"**

"**When we went back to school. There were rumors going around about some kid who had been killed over the weekend, but no one knew who it was."**

"**The thought didn't cross you mind that it could possibly be Jeremy Briggs?"**

"**No."**

"**Why not? Your sister hit him in the head with an ashtray!"**

"**Because he seemed alright when he left the room. And the kids at school were saying that this person had been shot. We never dreamed that it was Jeremy."**

"**When did you learn for sure that it was indeed Jeremy Briggs?"**

"**When the officers arrested Bailey for killing him."**

"**When your sister threw the ashtray at Jeremy, he had already backed away from you?"**

"**Yes."**

"**He was no longer attacking you?"**

"**Not at that moment, no."**

"**No further questions, your honor."**

"**Your witness, Ms. Novak," the judge said looking over at Casey.**

**Casey stood and approached the stand. She tipped her head and stared for a moment into the cool blue of Aubrey's eyes as she smiled at the girl.**

"**Aubrey, when bailey threw the ashtray, where was she standing?"**

"**She was sitting on the bed beside me. The ashtray was on the night stand beside the bed."**

"**What else was going on in the room at that moment?"**

"**Jeremy was standing at the foot of the bed zipping his jeans and I was crying."**

"**Then what happened?"**

"**He yelled at me."**

"**What did he say?"**

"**He told me and Bailey that if either of us ever told anyone that he would hurt me. He said that I wanted it and I asked for it. Then he yelled that if this ever got out he would kill me. He asked me if I understood. But I was crying and distraught. He screamed at me to shut up, but I couldn't stop crying."**

"**What did he do?"**

"**He screamed **_**shut up! Shut up! **_**And he climbed onto the bed coming at me like he was going to choke me. That was when Bailey grabbed the ashtray and threw it at him."**

"**You testified earlier that the ashtray hit Jeremy."**

"**Yes."**

"**You saw it hit him?"**

"**Yes."**

"**Where did it hit him?"**

"**On his forehead, just above his eye."**

"**How did he react?"**

"**He cursed at her and raised his hand to his head. She threw a book and a remote control at him also, but they didn't hit him. Then he turned around and ran out of the room."**

"**Was he bleeding?"**

"**Not that I could see. But the room was dark."**

"**So he could have been?"**

"**Yes."**

"**When you left the party, did you see Jeremy anywhere?"**

"**No. We walked down the stairs and through the living room, I didn't see him anywhere."**

"**What happened after that?"**

"**We went home. I took a shower and went to bed."**

"**Did you tell your parents about the attack?"**

"**Not right away."**

"**Why didn't you Aubrey?"**

"**I was scared and ashamed. I should have known better than to go into that room alone with Jeremy, but I did it anyway. I was afraid I would disappoint my parents."**

"**Aubrey, your parents work with rape victims for a living. Why would you think that they would be disappointed in you?"**

"**Because they have taught us since we were little to pay attention to our surroundings and not let our guard down, don't be alone with guys we don't know. I was not supposed to be at that party in the first place. My parents never even knew we snuck out of the house." Casey watched as she began to cry. "I didn't want to let them down."**

"**When did you finally tell your parents what happened that night?"**

"**The night that Bailey was arrested. That was when I told my mom what really happened."**

"**So you came clean to try to help your sister?"**

"**Yes. Bailey didn't mean to kill him. She was just trying to keep him from hurting me any more. She was trying to protect me. This whole thing was an accident. She never meant to hurt anyone."**

"**Your honor, can we take a short recess?" Casey asked.**

**The judge looked at her watch then back up at Casey. "Finish with your witness, Ms. Novak, then we will continue tomorrow morning."**

"**I have no further questions, your honor."**

**The judge slammed the gavel down in front of her. "Court is adjourned until nine o'clock tomorrow morning."**

**Aubrey wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath as she climbed off the witness stand.**

"**You did very good," Casey said patting her on the back. "I'm sorry if I got too rough on you back there. But the jury needs to hear everything."**

"**It's okay. I'm okay. I'm just tired."**

"**You did good, honey. Go home and get some rest. Tomorrow is Bailey's day in court."**

**As Olivia approached them Aubrey hugged her tight. "I am so proud of you, baby. I know how hard this is for you. But you did wonderful. Let's go home to dad and Bailey."**

"**Okay."**

**Aubrey walked over to talk to Kathleen for a few minutes while Casey and Olivia spoke for a moment.**

"**Thank you, Casey. I don't think she could have done this if it had been anyone else up there with her."**

"**She did really great. I have Bailey up first thing in the morning. I'd like you to bring her in just a little early so we can run through this one more time before she takes the stand."**

"**No problem."**

"**Is eight o'clock alright for you?"**

"**Sure. Aubrey would like to sit in for support, is that alright?"**

"**I think so. She has already testified. I don't see how it could hurt."**

"**We'll see you in the morning."**

**That night the girls helped Olivia cook dinner and they all sat down for a family dinner. Olivia looked around the table and thought to herself how as hard as this trial was on everyone it seemed to be bringing them all back together. **

**Aubrey seemed to be starting her healing process. She was smiling and laughing again and interacting with her family. And Bailey was standing her ground as she faced what would probably be the hardest time of her life. They were fighters. She and Elliot had raised two smart, beautiful, strong, young women who were so much like both of their parents. The girls were the best of her and the best of Elliot brought together and she had never been more proud of anyone in her life than she was of her children for the way they were handling this struggle life had thrown at them. **

"**I was thinking, when this is all over we should get away for a while," Elliot suggested.**

**Bailey lowered her fork and looked up at him. "Like a family vacation?"**

"**I think it's a great idea," Olivia said smiling at her husband.**

"**Where should we go dad?" Aubrey asked.**

"**Where would you girls like to go?"**

"**Jamaica," Bailey said with a smile.**

"**Well, I don't know that Jamaica is in our budget," Olivia replied. "But somewhere warm would be nice."**

"**Somewhere we can swim and relax on the beach," Aubrey added.**

"**Okay, somewhere warm with a nice beach. We still have time to think of a good place."**

"**Dad, what if I end up going to jail?" Bailey asked.**

"**We are doing everything we can to keep that from happening."**

"**I know daddy, but I am so scared."**

**Elliot wiped a tear from her cheek.**

"**If that happens, then we appeal. And we keep fighting until we make them listen. The Stabler family never quits. We never give up on each other, baby. And we will never give up fighting for you. We are your family and families stick together."**

"**Thanks dad," she said leaning over to hug him.**

"**Aww," Olivia cooed. "Do you happen to have one of those for your mom, too?"**

"**Of course," Bailey climbed into Olivia's lap like she used to do when she was little and hugged her tight. **

**Olivia began to tickle her as they both burst into laughter.**

**That night Olivia checked on her sleeping children, tucking them both in tight and kissing their foreheads before she turned in for the evening. As she and Elliot laid staring at each other across the mattress, he raised her hand and brought it to her lips.**

"**A penny for your thoughts," he said brushing a strand of dark hair from her eyes.**

**Olivia smiled at him. "I was just thinking what amazing children we have. Not really even children anymore, but young women. They are both so strong and so…"**

"**Beautiful, just like their mother. They both remind me so much of you. Your strength and determination. They are good girls and they both deserve a second chance. I just hope that jury can see that. I know that what Bailey did was wrong, that her actions caused the death of that boy. But I am so proud of her. Of both of them. She was trying to defend her sister and it all got out of hand. They are good kids."**

"**She is only fifteen years old. But if this goes bad, Elliot, it is going to be really bad."**

"**Casey got them to try her as a juvenile. Second degree murder, she is probably looking at fifteen years max. Half that with good behavior."**

"**She will be twenty two years old, Elliot. She will have missed out of college and graduating with her friends. She will have a criminal record. She wont be able to get a decent job, not to mention kissing her dream of medical school goodbye. This will ruin her life. Even if we do appeal and she ends up getting off later, any prison time at all and no reasonable college will take her."**

"**She is a minor, Olivia. If she is charged and she will go to a juvenile facility until she turns seventeen, then she will be transferred to prison. If an appeal goes through, anything before her seventeenth birthday will be sealed in her juvenile records. It wont effect college."**

"**We can't let her go down for this."**

"**I know baby," he said kissing his wife tenderly. "We should try to get some rest tonight. We have another long day ahead of us tomorrow."**

"**Good night, El."**

"**Good night, sweetheart." **


	10. 10 Fool Proof

_**YAY, MISTY!!! I FINALLY GOT YOUR UPDATE FINISHED!!! ;0P**_

_My Sister's Secret_

_(Chapter Ten: Fool Proof)_

Casey and Kathleen sat at a table in the front of the courtroom and watched as Richards tried his best to tear her apart on the stand. He asked her the same questions numerous times and everything he said seemed to circle around his insinuated disbelief of Aubrey's rape.

"So you have no actual proof that Jeremy Briggs raped your sister?"

"I saw him."

"You saw Jeremy or you saw someone."

"I saw the someone on top of my sister."

"For all you know the sex was consensual."

"That isn't true!"

"You walked into a dark room to see two people having sex in a bed. Was the woman screaming?"

"No."

"Was she pleading for him to stop?"

"No."

"What was she doing?"

"Aubrey would never…"

"WHAT was she doing?"

"She was moaning."

"Now, you are a smart girl. When woman moan during sexual intercourse, does that automatically mean that they are being raped?"

"No."

"How do you know she wasn't moaning because she was enjoying it?"

Bailey looked up at her sister now in tears.

"He raped her. Jeremy raped my sister. She was moaning because he was choking her and she could barely breathe. I screamed at him and went after him, trying to get him off of her. When he got up she was crying." Bailey sniffled as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Aubrey was raped by Jeremy Briggs at the party that night. She would never lie about something like that. He got up and ran and I threw the ashtray that hit him in the head."

"Did _you _see his face? How do you know for sure that Jeremy is the man who raped your sister?"

By now both girls were in tears and Casey had no way to help her.

"I…I…"

"Your honor, it is obvious that my client is upset. Can we have a brief recess to give her the chance to calm down?"

"So you can feed her lines, Ms. Novak?" Richards spat at her.

"She is a fifteen year old child," Casey argued as the judge slammed her gavel down.

"We will have a half hour recess to regroup. But I expect to see all of you back in this courtroom in exactly thirty minutes. Am I understood?"

"Yes, your honor," Casey said as she escorted Bailey from the stand.

"Why doesn't he believe me?" She asked through tears looking up at Casey.

"Because we have no physical proof that it was Jeremy who attacked Aubrey. There was no rape kit and no report to the police about the attack. As far as the jury is concerned the rape never happened. And that is really bad for you."

"But it did happen, I swear. Aubrey and I didn't just make this up."

"I believe you, honey. But they need something stronger than the word of two fifteen year old girls to believe it." Casey stepped around her and walked to the table.

"Wait," Bailey said looking up at Casey. "I have proof."

"You do?"

"Yes," she said as she turned to look at Aubrey. "Aubrey, that night I put your clothes in a bag and hid them in my closet because we didn't want mom and dad to find them. They are still there."

"The clothes she was wearing during the attack?"

Bailey nodded her head. "When we got home she took them off to shower. They were all bloody and torn so I hid them."

"We have to get those clothes," Casey said looking at Elliot.

"I'll take Aubrey back to the house and grab them."

"We have twenty two minutes," Casey said looking down at her watch.

"You stall them, I will be back here as soon as I can."

Eighteen minutes later Casey paced the floor as she watched the door for some sign of Elliot. Olivia sat on a bench holding Bailey's hand and praying this would be enough evidence to prove their defense.

"I got them," Elliot said as he pushed the door open with the plastic freezer bag in his hand.

"Good," Casey said as she took the bag from him and moved toward the front of the courtroom.

"Your honor new evidence has just been made available that could prove that Jeremy Briggs was the one who attacked and raped Aubrey Stabler."

Casey turned to watch as McHale Richards made his protest. "The prosecution never received notice of this evidence."

"It was only made available to the defense moments ago."

"You said this evidence _could_ prove the he was the attacker?" The judge asked covering her microphone. "What exactly do you have there, Ms. Novak?"

"The torn and bloody clothing that Aubrey was wearing when she was attacked. I would like to request a little more time to send them to our lab to have the DNA typed. But I believe that Mr. Briggs DNA will be found on them as well as that of Aubrey Stabler."

The judge looked at the plastic bag in Casey's hand.

"Your honor, you can not possibly be considering this request," Richards said in disgust.

"I am and I will give you forty eight hours to prove to me that the victim's DNA is Infact on the clothing, or the jury never sees it."

"Your honor!"

"But I have a few conditions of my own. I want a signed affidavit from Ms. Stabler stating that the garments do infact belong to her and were worn during her attack. And the bag will be turned over to the court and analyzed by our specialists. I will put a rush on this order and we will meet back here in forty eight hours to discuss the results and continue the trial. With or without the new evidence."

* * *

Over the next two days Casey and Kathleen searched for something more on Briggs. Cragen cam across an old report from when he was sixteen years old and physically attacked, Amanda Grey, his girlfriend at the time, beating her up. They looked the girl up and went to speak with her. After talking to Munch and Fin about how Jeremy beat her up, she had agreed to testify to this in court.

The next morning Casey and Kathleen met in the judge's chambers with McHale Richards an hour before court was scheduled to begin. The judge pulled out an envelope to reveal to all of them the results of the DNA test from the clothing.

"It seems that two types of blood and semen were present on Aubrey Stabler's torn underwear and her jeans as well. One of the blood samples was a match for Aubrey Stabler. The other sample as well as the semen were a perfect DNA match to Jeremy Briggs. It appears that Mr. Briggs was infact our rapist. And I will allow the clothing and lab reports to be admitted as evidence in this trial."

"All that proves is that the two of them had sex," Richards argued.

"That is a point that you will have to argue in front of the jury. You are all dismissed."

Casey took a deep breath as she and Kathleen walked down the hall to speak to Elliot and Olivia about the results.

"This is good news, right?" Kathleen asked. "Now we have proof."

"It could go either way. It proves there was sex. But without a rape kit or a statement from a doctor, there is still no proof of rape. And Fin just sent me a text that Amanda Grey has not shown up and has moved from her apartment."

"So we are right back where we started?" Kathleen asked with tears in her eyes.

"I am doing everything that I can," Casey replied turning to look back at Kathleen.

"These are my little sisters. We cant let Bailey go to prison!"

"And I am doing my best to prevent that!"

"Your best is not good enough," Kathleen snapped. "You have to think of something! She is just a kid!"

Casey stared at her with tears in her eyes then turned and walked away.

Several minutes later Kathleen found her standing in a hallway of the courthouse staring out the window. She walked up behind Casey with out her even knowing she was there.

"She is going to be a doctor," Kathleen said looking at her. "She has had the highest GPA in her school since she was in kindergarten and already has colleges offering her scholarships and she isn't even a sophomore in high school, yet. She has so much life ahead of her, Casey. We have to help her."

Casey turned and looked at Kathleen.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," Kathleen said softly.

"We need something more on Jeremy Briggs. More history on him. We needed Amanda Grey to give that to us. Without her testimony we are in deep trouble. Right now that jury is going to see a scared fifteen year old girl who doesn't want to admit to her parents she was sexually active. Because that is how McHale Richards is going to paint her. We have to beat him at his own game. Help them find Amanda. We have to get her in here."

"Okay."

"I have to get in there and make sure he doesn't attack Bailey."

* * *

Casey sat listening to Richards as he interrogated Bailey on the stand once more. This time the girl was holding up really well. He repeated the same questions again and tried to get her to change her story, but it didn't vary at all.

"How are you sure that Jeremy Briggs is the man who raped your sister if you did not see his face that night during the attack?"

"Because, I was arrested at school later for killing him. I was arrested because the ashtray I threw at the man who raped my sister that night in that room killed Jeremy Briggs!"

"No further questions," he said as he walked off allowing Casey control of the floor.

Casey took a deep breath and exhaled as she closed her eyes for a moment. She stood up and opened her eyes to look toward the back of the room where Amanda Grey now stood.

"I have no questions for this witness," she said softly. "The defense would like to call Amanda Grey to the stand."

Casey watched as the girl was sworn in and took her seat.

"Can you explain to the courtroom your relationship to the victim Jeremy Briggs?"

"I used to date him."

"You dated him until when?"

"Until he beat me up a year ago."

"Can you explain to us what happened?"

The girl stared at Casey for a minute as tears rose in her eyes.

"He had been drinking and he wanted sex, but I wouldn't sleep with him."

"Then what happened?"

"He hit me in the face and slammed me against the wall. He grabbed me by the hair and dragged me into the bedroom and locked the door."

"Then what happened?"

"Then he threw me down on the bed where he held me down and raped me. I was a virgin before that."

"Did you report your attack to the police?"

"Yes, I did."

"And did you have a rape kit done?"

"Yes."

"Then why wasn't Jeremy ever charged with your rape?"

"It went to court. But the lawyer pretty much had everyone believing it was my fault. He told them that I must have had sex with Jeremy and then just said it was rape."

"But this is not what happened?"

"No," she said shaking her head and crying. "He raped me and he took something from me that I will never get back. And that man," she said pointing at Richards, "is the reason that Jeremy never went to jail for raping me."

Casey turned and looked at Richards then rifled through her pile of papers to the court documents from Amanda's trial against Jeremy Briggs.

"He defended Jeremy at that trial, too?"

"Yes. And if Jeremy had gone to jail for raping me, he wouldn't have been around to rape again. This is all his fault!"

"Objection, your honor!"

"Sustained! Control your witness Ms. Novak!"

"No further questions," Casey said as she returned to her seat.

* * *

That afternoon they sat for two hours waiting for the jury to reach a decision.

"What do you think our chances are?" Bailey asked Casey.

"I'm not really sure. It was going good until Amanda's little outburst in court."

"But she is proof he raped before."

"And I am hoping that the jury will see that and look past her emotional distress in court. But she verbally attacked an attorney in there."

"But she was right, you know? If Jeremy had gone to jail for what he did to Amanda, then he would have still been there and wouldn't have had the chance to rape Aubrey."

"I know that, honey." Kathleen said. "Anyone with a conscience could see that. But McHale Richards is a defense attorney. It is his job to defend his client to his best ability, guilty or innocent. That is how the law works."

"Well, the law sucks. Because that is wrong. That is why I am not going to law school."

Kathleen smiled. "It's better you didn't."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because if you became a lawyer, who would cure cancer?"

Both girls laughed.

"Good point," Bailey said pointing at her sister.

* * *

The following afternoon Casey, Fin, Munch and Cragen, joined the entire Stabler family for a celebration dinner after the jury read their verdict of not guilty. Well, _almost_ the entire clan.

Scott and Maureen were there with the Dylan and Gabby. Kathleen and her handsome lawyer _friend_, as well as Elizabeth and Eli with his Jennifer.

"The only one missing is Dickie," Bailey said as she picked up her glass to take a drink and tried not to look disappointed.

Work and the military kept Dickie away so often that they barely got to see him anymore. It had been nearly eight months since his last visit and they all missed him like crazy. But of everyone in the family Dickie was closest to Bailey. It had been this way since she was a baby and he was her favorite person in the world. As she got older they stayed close and the day he left for the Army and she realized she couldn't go with him, Elliot had to carry his broken hearted four year old back into the house in tears.

"Bailey," Elliot said as she raised her eyes to look at him. "Why don't you go into the living room, your mom and I have a surprise for you."

She smiled and tossed her napkin on the table as she ran into the living room to see her brother standing there in his uniform.

"Oh my gosh!" She squealed as she jumped into his arms and hugged him tight. "I didn't think you were coming. I am so glad to see you!"

"I'm glad to see you too, bug. I am sorry I could be here earlier, I hated not being here for you through this. But this was the earliest I could get leave."

"You were here," she said holding up a little heart necklace he had gotten her for her birthday. "I never took it off. That way you were with me the whole time. But it is a lot better to actually get to see you in person."

She hugged him again and dragged him by the hand to the dinner table forcing Elizabeth to scoot down so he could sit beside her.

"Now the entire family is here," she announced with a big smile.

Elliot raised his glass to make a toast. "To the Stabler family, my beautiful wife and all of my seven of you children, even my two grand babies, I am so proud of all of you. Bailey and Aubrey, you girls make your mother and I so proud of you. I know you have both had to grow up a lot over these past few weeks, we all love you both so much. To our dear friend of many years, Casey Novak for crossing over from the dark side to do what you knew in your heart was the right thing. Without you….well, I don't want to think of how bad this could have gone without your help. And to everyone, family and friends for coming together to help out in our time of need. Thank you, we love you all."

That night before heading to bed themselves, Elliot and Olivia looked in on the girls. Olivia smiled as she found Bailey curled up beside her sister and both girls sleeping peacefully.

"We have the most amazing family," she said softly as Elliot wrapped his arms tight around her.

"Yeah, we do."

"Did you get Dickie settled in the guest room?"

"Yup."

"I am so glad he got to be here. It is so good to see him and I don't think anything else in the world could have made Bailey smile like that."

"They were going to wait and fly him out tomorrow. But I really wanted him to be here for the dinner tonight. So I got online and ordered his ticket. He flew eighteen hours to get here and made it just in time for dinner."

"I think it is so wonderful that he and Bailey are that close. She really looks up to him."

"He's a good role model."

"Yeah, he is."

Elliot smiled. "He still calls her Bailey bug. If anyone else did that she would have a fit."

Olivia laughed softly. "Dickie gave her that nickname when she was just a baby. She couldn't even crawl yet, but it didn't slow her down. She rolled around like a little rolly polly bug."

"They are great kids."

"They are. We have seven amazing children."

"And they are all asleep," he whispered as he closed Aubrey's bedroom door and leaned his wife up against the wall to kiss her.

Olivia laughed. "Well, maybe if we keep it quiet," she whispered back as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.


	11. 11 New Direction

My Sister's Secret

(Chapter Eleven: New Direction)

"_You okay?" Olivia asked combing her fingers through Aubrey's hair as they sat parked in front of the school._

"_Yeah, gotta go back sometime, right?"_

"_I love you. And I will be right here to pick you both up after school."_

"_Okay," Aubrey whispered as she looked up at her mother. _

"_Bye, mom. Love you," Bailey said as she climbed out of the black SUV._

"_Bye mom," Aubrey said softly as she leaned over and kissed Olivia's cheek._

"_Bye, baby."_

_Olivia sat in the car and watched until the girls were inside the building, then headed to work._

_After court that morning, Olivia took the rest of the day off for a doctor's appointment. Around noon she headed home with the dry cleaning and groceries to get a few things done before the kids got home from school. On her way home she received a call from the school saying that Aubrey didn't show up to a few of her classes. _

_Olivia turned the car around and drove to the school. As she pulled around in front of the school she noticed her daughter sitting under a tree in the courtyard. Olivia parked the car and shut off the engine. She walked slowly across the grass and sat down under the tree beside Aubrey._

"_Hey kid," she said softly. _

_Aubrey looked up at her with tears streaming down her face._

"_Do you want to talk about it?"_

"_I just want to go home, mom."_

"_Okay," Olivia replied as she hugged her daughter and kissed her forehead. "Where is your sister?"_

"_Bailey is still in class. I just couldn't do it anymore. All of the whispers and the looks."_

"_Lets go home, baby."_

_When they got home Aubrey went upstairs to lay down for a while. As Olivia stood in the kitchen putting stuff away in the pantry, she heard the front door slam shut._

"_Elliot?" She called through the house as she walked into the living room to see Bailey standing in the foyer. "What are you doing home?"_

"_I walked."_

"_What happened to your face?" Olivia asked wiping a bit of blood from a busted lip._

"_Nothing, mom. I'm fine."_

"_You're not fine. Why aren't you in school?"_

"_Because I got suspended, okay?"_

"_Not okay! What the hell is going on with you?" Just then her cell phone rang. "Stabler," she answered. "El, can I call you back? I am talking to Bailey who just walked home. I don't know why. I am trying to get to the bottom of that right now."_

_Bailey exhaled in annoyance and ran up the stairs to her bedroom._

"_Bailey Olivia Stabler, I am not even close to finished with this conversation!" Olivia yelled up the stairs as Bailey slammed her bedroom door shut._

"_I don't know, Elliot. She has a busted lip and it is obvious she has been fighting. She wont talk to me. I was just about to sit her down and make her when you called. I picked Aubrey up earlier. The school called me and said she had missed a few classes. She was sitting under a tree when I got there."_

"_This is ridiculous, Olivia. I'm on my way home."_

"_El, I am not sure that is going to help. There really isn't any reason for you to miss work, too. Maybe it was just too soon to send them back to school."_

"_These are our kids and if there is something going on with her we need to find out what. If we're both there we can tag team her and figure out what the hell is going on." He was quiet for a few seconds. "How did your appointment go?"_

"_Good. Still cancer free."_

"_That is great news."_

"_That is what I said. I picked up the dry cleaning and got a few groceries. I was putting them away when I heard the front door slam."_

"_I'm half way home now. Why don't you give her a little cool down time and we can drag it out of her when I get there. How is Aubrey?"_

"_Aubrey is… I don't know. She was a little upset. She said she is fine, she just wasn't ready to go back yet. She went up to her room to lay down for a little while. I'm worried, Elliot. They are not usually like this. And Bailey has never been in a fight in her life."_

"_I'm sure the first day back to school was rough. Let them calm down a little and when I get home the four of us will sit down and have a heart to heart."_

"_Okay. I will see you in a little while."_

"_I love you."_

"_I love you, too."_

_She hung up the phone and finished putting the groceries away. She went upstairs and hung up the dry cleaning in the bedroom closet. Elliot came in as she walked back down the stairs._

"_Hey baby," he said kissing her tenderly._

"_Hey."_

"_Is Bailey still up there?"_

"_They both are. I didn't say anything to them."_

"_I have a plan. Why don't you fix a couple of bowls of ice cream and I will go get the girls?"_

"_Okay."_

_Elliot exhaled and walked up the stairs. He tapped gently on Aubrey's bedroom door as he pushed it open._

"_Bre? Hey, sweetheart."_

"_Hi, daddy."_

"_Mom and I were thinking maybe it was time for a family discussion. She is making some ice cream now. Why don't you go on down and help her and I'll get Bailey."_

"_Okay, dad." _

_He leaned against the wall for a few minutes outside Bailey's bedroom door to try to think of a plan, then knocked on the door._

"_Bail, can I come in?"_

"_Sure," she growled._

_Elliot pushed open the door and looked at his daughter stretched out across her bed crying._

"_Why don't you come downstairs and tell mom and I about it?"_

"_I just really don't want to talk about it daddy, please."_

"_I know, baby. But mom and I are worried. And if we talk about this like a family, maybe we can come up with a solution to the problem. Bailey, not talking about it isn't going to make it go away. Come on downstairs. Mom's fixing some ice cream."_

"_Okay daddy," she said wiping her eyes as she stood up from the bed._

_Elliot escorted her down the stairs as Olivia sat ice cream bowls on the table. _

"_Thanks, mom."_

"_No problem," Olivia said softly. She stared into Bailey's eyes as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and examined the busted lip. "Can you tell us what this is all about?"_

"_Take a wild guess."_

"_Bailey, don't talk to your mother that way."_

"_I'm sorry, mom."_

"_Honey, I know going back to school is hard on you."_

"_It wasn't about me."_

"_What happened?" Elliot asked._

"_Everyone at school kept calling me a killer. They said I got away with murder. That I only got away with it because my mommy and daddy are cops and that I'm going to hell for what I did."_

"_Honey…."_

"_No mom, it gets worse. This girl, Lisa Pryce, she used to date Jeremy Briggs. She said that Aubrey was a slut and she asked for it. She said that my slutty sister was sleeping her way around the school and she would spread her legs for any guy. She got up in my face and hit me in the mouth, so I hit her."_

"_You hit her?"_

"_I punched her in the mouth. I screamed at her to take it back, but she refused. All of the guys were calling Aubrey as slut! And it just made me so angry! She isn't a slut! She doesn't sleep around! Jeremy Briggs raped Aubrey and now everyone is making it sound like this is all her fault! Lisa, said I murdered her boyfriend and she was going to kick my ass. Then she punched me in the mouth and pulled my hair. So I hit her. And she hit me again. I hated her," Bailey sobbed as she sat down at the table and folded her arms in front of her. "The principal pulled us in his office and Lisa said I started it. But I didn't, she hit me first! They suspended me and sent her back to class. So I got mad and left. And I'm not going back!"_

"_What about you?" Elliot asked looking at Aubrey._

"_Nothing," she said softly. "I'm just tired of the way they look at us. And whisper when we walk by. Everyone is saying bad things, daddy. Even the people we thought were our friends. I am the school slut now and Bailey is some murder, whose mommy and daddy kept her out of jail." _

"_Girls I know this is hard on you," Elliot began. "But you can't just stop going to school."_

"_Daddy please," Aubrey pleaded in tears, "I don't want to go back."_

"_Yeah dad," Bailey sobbed, "can't we just move or something?"_

"_We have been in this house since you girls were just little kids. We are not going to move now. This is our home." Elliot looked up at his wife._

"_We have to do something, Elliot. They can't keep coming home with busted lips."_

"_Well, what are our options," he thought out loud. "That is the only school around here, without them going to school in the city. They only have a few more months before the year is out. To start a new school right now is going to make things even harder. If they can make it through the next few months, we could try St. Mary's next year. It isn't far from the precinct. We can drop them off on our way to work. The twins went there for through high school and seemed to like it."_

"_Daddy, please don't make us go back to school," Aubrey said looking up at him._

"_Baby, if you just stop going to school now you will have to repeat your freshman year. You are both honor roll students and being held back a year can be enough to keep you from getting into a good college."_

"_Daddy, please don't make us go back," Bailey begged._

"_El, what if I home schooled them. Just the rest of this school year. Then we all start again next year. A brand new start at St. Mary's. They don't want to go back and I don't want them going back there. I can get the curriculum and teach them here at home this last few months."_

"_What about driver's ed? They have to take that through the school. They will be sixteen next month and can't get a license until they have had it."_

"_We took it last semester, dad. Now we just have to get in our driving hours and go to the DMV and take the test," Aubrey informed him. _

"_What do you girls think?" Elliot asked._

"_I think that is a good idea," Bailey said looking at her sister._

"_Anything to keep from going back there," Aubrey agreed._

"_So this is our family decision?" Elliot asked. "Home school the rest of this year and start over fresh next year at St. Mary's? Is every body in?" He asked placing his hand in the center of the table._

"_Yeah," Bailey said laying her hand in his._

"_Yes," Aubrey agreed placing her hand on her sister's._

"_Alright," Olivia said with a smile placing her hand on the top of the stack._

"_And this is how the Stabler family solves problems. We sit down together and we talk through them. Because together, girls, there is nothing we cannot overcome. You know what else I was thinking? Mom and I both have some time built up. And if you are home schooling, as long as it doesn't interfere with your assignments, we could go ahead and take a little vacation. I think we could all use a break."_

"_Vacation sounds good dad."_

"_Yeah, where are we going?"_

"_Well, there is Sea World."_

"_For real dad? We're not five."_

"_No Sea World. Where would you girls like to go?"_

"_Hawaii," Bailey said with a smile._

"_Someplace warm."_

"_Liv?"_

"_Somewhere with a beach sounds nice."_

"_So we want a beach vacation," Elliot said as he nodded. "I'll tell you what, you girls help mom get your school stuff straightened out. Give me a few days to figure out financially what we have in savings to spend on a vacation and I will come up with a list of options in our price range. I am not sure we can afford Hawaii," he said looking over at Bailey, "but I will try to find us a beach get away in our budget. A nice place we can all relax and unwind for about a week and have a little fun together as a family. We can have another family meeting in a few days to vote on where we will go."_

_Two days later they all sat around the table enjoying a meal that the girls had cooked._

"_Any progress on vacation ideas, daddy?" Aubrey asked._

"_I have a couple of ideas. Unfortunately, Hawaii is not in our budget. But I found deals for Daytona Beach, Florida and Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head Island in South Carolina." He pulled out some pictures that he had printed at work to pass around and show them._

"_This one is really pretty," Aubrey said._

"_Hilton Head Island," Bailey began to read from the paper. "Golf, beaches, luxury resort, tennis, volleyball, polo…. Oh, dad they have snorkeling and scuba diving. This is so cool."_

"_Honey, I am sure the others do also."_

"_But this one looks prettier in the pictures."_

"_Okay, so we have your vote. What about you Bre?"_

"_I'm with Bailey on this one. And we have already been to Florida."_

"_Liv?"_

"_Hilton Head Island sounds great. But wont it be a little cold?"_

"_That is another thing. If we do the beach thing, it would probably be better to wait until around the end of May or beginning or June. This is only the end of April. If we go now, it will be too cold to enjoy the beach and the water. But I was thinking I could go ahead and book us for the last week of May. By then you girls would be finished with school and off for the summer."_

"_And that gives us time to get new summer clothes for the trip," Bailey chimed in._

"_That is true," Elliot agreed._

"_So, we are going on vacation in South Carolina the last week in May?" Aubrey asked. "That is right after our birthday." _

"_Are we sure on this? Is this what everybody agrees?"_

_Elliot looked around the table as the girls nodded their heads._

"_Looks like it," Olivia said with a smile._

"_Alright. Then I will go ahead and make our reservations and book the flight."_


	12. 12 Hand Me Down

_My Sister's Secret_

_(Chapter Twelve: Hand Me Down)_

"Liv, come here. I want to show you something," Elliot called to her as she placed dinner dishes in the sink.

"Babe, what is it? I was helping Maureen with the dishes."

"It will only take a second. I want the chance to talk to you for a minute before without the girls catching on."

She smiled. "They are in the playroom with Gabby and Dylan. What is going on?"

"Just come out into the garage," he said leading her by the hand down the steps and into the garage.

"What is going on out here?" Olivia asked smiling at Scott, who had Maureen's car up on ramps.

"Just checking things out. And trying to decide what color to paint it."

"Painting it?" She asked. "I thought you guys were getting a new car?"

"We are," Scott said looking back as Elliot.

"El? Is there something you have forgotten to tell me?"

Elliot looked back at the door and handed her a beer.

"I want to buy the car from Scott."

"Give me one reason why we need another car."

"I can give you two," he replied with a smile as he pointed at the door to the kitchen. "And they turn sixteen years old in three weeks."

"Two kids and one car?"

"They shared a womb, they can share a car."

Olivia laughed.

"Just hear me out, okay?"

"Okay," she said kissing him as he pulled her over to look under the hood of the car.

"Low mileage, excellent condition and a dependable car. It is the exact same make and model as mine at home. Scott just changed the oil and all of the fluids. New tires, it is perfect for the girls. I thought we could buy it from them give them six thousand for it. We get a dependable car for the kids and they get more money for a down payment than they would for trade in."

"I'm in so far."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're right. They are eventually going to need a car. This one is dependable and in good condition. And this way we help Scott and Maureen out as well. Sounds like a plan to me."

"Wait until you hear the next part," Scott said with a smile.

"There is more?" Olivia asked looking at her husband with her arms folded in front of her.

"Yeah, but you are going to like this part. The place where we got your SUV is having a big sale. I was thinking we could go down and look around and pick out another car."

"So one of them gets a new car and the other gets Maureen's hand me down?"

"No, silly. Scott has already talked to a friend about repainting both cars."

"I'm confused."

"This car is exactly like mine. So one of them will get this one and the other will have mine. Two kids, two cars."

"So the new car is for you, okay."

"Not exactly. I was thinking, you have had your car since the kids were little. We use your car the most, so we should go down and get you a new car. I'll take yours, you get a new one and the kids will have cars that are both paid off. The only payment is on the new one. I'm going to bring mine over here tomorrow afternoon and change the fluids, check the tires, teen proof it."

Olivia laughed. "You have really put a lot of thought into this."

"I got all of the other kids a car for their sixteenth birthday. I want to be able to do something for the girls, too. So back to the original question. What colors are we going to paint them?"

"Well," Olivia said turning around to look at the car. "Aubrey likes blue. She is in love with this little blue car across town."

"Okay, blue for Bre. What about Bailey?"

Olivia looked at Elliot and they both smiled.

"Black Mustang," they said at the same time.

"So we need one blue and one black."

"Dark blue," Olivia said as she slid into the drivers seat of the car. "And we should get them CD players. Your car still has cassette. We could put new stereos in them."

"Good thinking."

"How long will it take to get them ready?"

"If you know for sure on the color, I can take this one down tomorrow and they can go ahead and get it started. If we get the other one in there soon, he could have them done before their birthday," Scott said looking at Olivia. "You can park them here until the party."

"Thanks, Scott. I'm going to head back inside and finish helping Maureen clean up. You two behave yourselves," she said kissing Elliot before heading back inside.

* * *

_**THREE WEEKS LATER….**_

Elliot fixed his daughters birthday pancakes as he listened to them running around upstairs.

"Breakfast is almost ready," Elliot called up the stairs as Olivia came down. "What the hell is going on up there? Sounds like a heard of elephants."

"Nope, two _sixteen_ year old girls. They are trying to find the perfect outfits to wear for their drivers license photos."

Elliot smiled.

"The do know that you can only see their face in the picture, right?"

"Yeah, well I have told them that about five times. It didn't seem to help. They are excited, daddy. Let them enjoy it. You and Scott have everything planned out?"

"Yes. While you and the girls are shopping and taking driving tests, he and I are going to get things set up back here. I cleaned out the garage and he and he is picking me up in about an hour and a half to bring the cars over. Maureen even got these big red bows. They are going to freak. Prepare for a lot of high pitched girl screaming."

Olivia laughed.

"They are going to love them. I got cash for their birthday cards. I figured we could give them those at breakfast. Then I will take them by the mall before we come home and let them get some shoes and clothes, whatever they want."

"What about the party?"

"Seven o'clock. Here. I ordered the cake and we're going to pick it up on the way home."

"How many teenagers are we talking here?"

"Just two as far as I know."

"I thought you told them they could invite friends?"

"I did. They don't seem to have a lot of real friends right now. Since the trial….they have pretty much lost touch with everyone from their old school. So it is pretty much just family."

"Our poor kids. Imagine being a sixteen year old girl and not having any friends at all."

"One of those times when I am really glad there is two of them. They are best friends and they are really pulling each other through this."

"I talked to Dickie yesterday."

"What did he say?"

"He'll be in around noon. I know that Bailey is especially excited to see him."

"Yeah, they are quite a pair. You would almost think those two were twins and Aubrey and Elizabeth."

Elliot smiled.

"He is her big brother, she adores him and really looks up to him."

"And he is an amazing role model. All of the kids are. We are really lucky to have such good kids. They are all pretty amazing. Our family is amazing."

"Yeah it is."

Elliot smiled as the girls made their way down the stairs.

"There they are! Happy birthday, ladies! I made your favorites for your annual birthday breakfast. Blueberry pancakes for you," he said placing a plate in front of Aubrey. "And banana nut pancakes for you," he said kissing the top of Bailey's head. "Peanut butter is already on the counter."

He watched as his daughters eat their breakfast.

"So what are the big plans for today?" Elliot asked the girls.

"Mom's taking us to take our driving test and get our license. The we get to go get a new outfit for our dinner tonight," Aubrey announced with a smile.

"Dad, what time is Dickie coming in? he will be here for our party tonight, right?"

"Of course. I am going in to do a little work. And I pick him up from the airport around twelve thirty. We should be back here by the time you girls get home."

"I cannot wait to see him!"

"Neither can I."

"Girls, daddy and I thought we would go ahead and give you part of your gift from us now," Olivia said handing them each a card.

"Thanks mom," Aubrey said with a smile as she opened the envelope.

"Wow, two hundred bucks!" Bailey announced in excitement.

"Thank you too daddy," Aubrey said hugging her father.

"You are very welcome baby." Elliot hugged her tight in his arms. "Mom and I were talking and we were thinking you guys might want to get some new clothes for our trip. We're also gonna let you both pick out a new bathing suit, but this way you can get your own clothes or whatever you like."

"Cool. Thanks, dad."

"It was mom's idea. Daddy doesn't speak teenaged girl."

The girls laughed.

"Thanks momma," Bailey said hugging her mother.

"Happy birthday, ladies. If we're not out of here in about twenty minutes we are going to be running late getting back here to spend time with Dickie before your birthday dinner. Finish eating."

That evening they all sat around the dinner table, joined by Cragen and Casey, Fin and Munch. After dinner they retired for the family room where the girls began to open their birthday gifts.

Designer purses from Kathleen, emerald jewelry from Dickie. Cash from Cragen, Munch and Fin. The girls made a killing.

"Are we ready for cake?" Olivia asked playing hostess.

"It is ice cream cake," Bailey added. "And the best food in the entire world!"

The girls headed into the kitchen to help their mother serve dessert to their guests. As the evening began to wind down, Scott and Elliot slipped out to the driveway to prepare for the presentation of the big gift.

Maureen picked up her daughter and asked the girls to help her carry the kids to their car. As she did, everyone else followed along behind them. They had made it out the door and down the front steps before Aubrey looked up to see the two cars sitting there, each with a big red bow on it.

"Really?" She asked with a smile as she looked back at her mother.

"Happy birthday, baby." Olivia kissed her and placed a set of keys in her palm. "The blue one is yours. Black, is Bailey's."

"Oh my God! You guys got us our own cars?" Bailey asked.

"Yeah, well you are licensed drivers now," Elliot said tossing her the keys.

They ran across the driveway to their new cars as they squealed in excitement.

"Can we take them for a drive?" Bailey asked looking at her parents.

"Let's go squirt," Dickie said climbing into the passenger seat of Bailey's new ride.

"This is so awesome."

Eli climbed into the car with Aubrey and Elliot and Olivia watched as the kids drove off.

That night as the girls finished off a bowl of ice cream before bed Elliot and Olivia joined them in the kitchen.

"So, did you girls have a good birthday?" Olivia asked.

"The best," Aubrey replied with a smile.

"Yeah. I still can't believe you guys got us cars. I have my own car! So cool," Bailey replied.

"You girls know that owning a car comes with responsibilities? They are paid off, so there is no car payment. Mom and I can help you out with gas money from time to time and the cost of the upkeep. But the insurance is your responsibility."

"You mean we have to get jobs?" Bailey asked looking confused.

"It costs a lot of money to drive a car," Olivia reminded them.

"I was talking to some people trying to get some ideas for jobs for you girls. Elizabeth is looking for someone to do some filing at her office and Kathleen and Casey could use someone to answer phones in the evenings. This should be enough hours to pay for your car insurance and help give you each a little extra spending money as well. I told them I would talk to you guys about it and have you give them a call tomorrow to let them know."

"Dad, what about our trip?" Bailey asked.

"I'm sure they will work with you."

"And we would have extra money? I up for it," Bailey said with a smile.

"What about you, Bre?" Olivia asked combing her fingers through her daughter's hair.

"Sure. I think it will be kind of cool to be able to earn our own money."

"Alright, then you girls can call them tomorrow and work out the details. But for now, I think daddy and I are going to bed. Good night girls."

"Night mom," Bailey said kissing her mother and hugging her father.

"Yeah, good night mom." Aubrey hugged her mother tight as Olivia kissed her.

"Good night baby, happy birthday."

Elliot and Olivia made their way upstairs as the kids finished their ice cream and made popcorn before returning to the living room to watch a movie.


	13. 13 A Little Time Away

_My Sister's Secret_

_(Chapter Thirteen: A Little Time Away)_

"This place is even prettier than it is in the brochures," Bailey exclaimed as she climbed from the taxi.

"It is very pretty," Elliot agreed struggling with the luggage as he turned to see that Olivia and the girls had already gone inside. "Thanks," he said dropping a suitcase to tip the driver.

"Let me help you with that, sir," a young man from the hotel staff said as he pushed a cart in Elliot's direction.

"Thank you. We're only gonna be here a week, but between my wife and two daughters I think we've probably got enough luggage for the entire month."

The sandy haired boy stared at him with blue eyes and laughed pretending to be amused by Elliot's attempt at humor.

"You don't look old enough to work here," Elliot noted as the kid helped him stack the bags on the cart.

"I am seventeen, sir. Old enough to have a job."

"And you gave up your summer to lug around other people's bags?"

The kid laughed.

"My dad owns the resort. I've been working summers here since I was eleven. He says it will help me learn the value of a dollar."

"Has it?"

"Yes, sir. I saved my money from the last two summers and was able to buy my car," he said pointing to a white sports car in the parking lot.

"You make that much working as a bell boy?"

"I work as a bell boy, lifeguard in the pool, a caddy on the golf course, valet on the weekends and wait tables in the main dining room when they are short staffed. I don't mind the work and the tips are pretty good."

"I see that," Elliot said nodding toward the car. "Good choice."

"My dream car. I had wanted one since I was a kid."

"Since you were a kid?" Elliot asked with a laugh as they walked inside.

Elliot followed the kid up to the joining rooms he had rented for the week. By the time he got there Bailey had already found the mini fridge and Aubrey was draped across the bed with the remote in her hand.

"You can just sit the bags right here," he said handing the kid a twenty dollar tip.

"Thanks, Mr. Stabler."

"No problem. Hey, I was thinking about playing a few rounds of golf later this week, are you available?"

"Sure," the kid said smiling through braces and handing him a business card. "My name is Christian, just give me a call when you decide on a day and time and I'll meet you at the club house."

"I'll do that. Thanks, again."

Elliot closed the door behind the kid, then looked around the room.

"Where's mom?" he asked as Aubrey pointed to the other suite.

He picked up he and Olivia's bags and walked through the door and into their room and dropped them beside the bed. He looked around noticing the balcony doors were opened and the curtains were blowing in the wind.

"Hey you," he said kissing the side of her neck as he handed her a four dollar bottle of water from the refrigerator.

"It is so beautiful here," she said with a smile. "So tranquil and relaxing."

"Good. Otherwise I have overpaid terribly for the trip."

Olivia smiled as she looked back at him.

"I see you made a friend," she noted.

"Ahh, the owner's son. He also works as a caddy. I thought I'd give him a call when I am ready to play a few holes. He seems like a good kid, just trying to make some money during the summer."

"Are the girls settling in?" she asked.

"Last I saw Bailey was raiding the refrigerator and Aubrey was checking out the cable selection. I was thinking maybe we could get unpacked, then we can all walk down and check out the beach before dinner."

"I don't know, El. I'm a little jetlagged from the flight. I was thinking about taking a long hot bath and maybe a nap, try to unwind a little."

"Unwind then," he whispered as he kissed the tip of her nose. "That is what this trip is all about."

Olivia smiled.

"You and the girls should go ahead though."

"And leave you behind?"

"Yeah. They don't want to be stuck sitting around here while mom takes a nap."

"Alright. I'll take them. Maybe you and I could go out tonight and check it out. After the kids have gone to bed. I'll bet it's pretty romantic."

Olivia smiled.

"Sounds like it," she agreed.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"Yeah, just a little headache. I'll be fine after a little rest."

Elliot gathered the girls and they ventured out to explore the resort that would be their home away from home for the next seven days. They checked out the spa and indoor and outdoor swimming pools, before walking down to the beach. Elliot watched his daughters as they kicked off their sandals and waded out into the water laughing and splashing at each other.

He smiled as he watched them, thinking back to when they were small. Two brunette four year olds with big eyes begging daddy to read them a story before bed. They were just babies then, but now they were strong young women. Both beautiful reflections of their mother.

"I'm hungry dad," Bailey groaned as she stood ankle deep in the water with her shoes in her hand.

"Well," Elliot said tipping his wrist to look at his watch, "what do you say we head back and get cleaned up for dinner?"

Back in their room, the girls rushed around picking out clothes for dinner and fixing their hair. Elliot stepped back into his room and pushed shut the door between the rooms. In the bed across the room his wife rested soundly.

He made his room across the room and slid into bed beside Olivia. He slipped his arms tightly around her and softly kissed the side of her neck.

"Mmm," Olivia moaned as she smiled without opening her eyes. "That's nice," she whispered as she scrunched up her nose. "Tickles a little, but it's nice."

"The girls are getting ready for dinner. You think you feel like coming down to eat? Or I could send the girls ahead and we could order some room service," he said kissing her tenderly.

Olivia groaned as she sat up and stretched.

"No, I'll get up. This is a family vacation. I am here to spend time with my family."

"We're also here to relax," he said giving her a quick kiss before she stood and headed into the bathroom.

"We can relax later," she said giving him a sexy wink. "Right now our daughters actually want to have dinner with us. It wont be long and they won't want that anymore. We'll have a hard time getting them to spend time with us at all. Then they will go off to college and start their own lives like the older children have. This could very well be our last vacation together as a family, El. And I fully intend spend every single moment of it making memories with the girls."

Elliot smiled.

"I never thought of it that way. I was thinking earlier how fast they have grown. It seems like only yesterday we were in that operating awaiting the arrival of Stabler baby 'A' and Stabler baby 'B.'"

"I still remember the look on your face when you realized that baby 'B' was actually a girl instead of a boy."

Elliot smiled again.

"I was a little shocked. We were so sure we were having a boy."

"I think everyone in that room was shocked," Olivia laughed.

"They were so tiny."

"I was afraid you'd be disappointed."

"Never. Not for a moment. I am so proud of them, both of them. They are so strong and smart and beautiful. They get it from their mother," he said kissing her again. "And I wouldn't trade our two tiny baby girls for anything in the world."

"Me either," Olivia replied with a smile. "Can you check on our two precious baby girls while I get changed real quick?"

"Yeah, it sounds more like a heard of buffalo in there than two teenaged girls. I'd better make sure they're not killing each other"

"Give me ten minutes," Olivia said placing a quick kiss on his lips as she headed for the bathroom.

Later Elliot sat flirting with his wife across the table as they both enjoyed a glass of wine.

"Can I have a glass of wine?" Bailey asked in her most adult voice.

"Sure," Olivia said with a smile.

"Really?" Bailey asked turning to her father for approval as Elliot turned his attention to his wife.

"Yes, just as soon as you turn twenty one."

Elliot laughed and Olivia smiled. Moments later both girls were laughing as well. That night Olivia crept into check on the girls after they had fallen asleep. She closed up the chip bag and cover both of her children kissing each of their foreheads, before turning off the television.

"How are they?" Elliot asked as she re-entered their room closing the door behind her.

"Sound asleep. They passed out eating junk food and watching horror movies."

"They are definitely _your_ kids."

Olivia smiled.

"_Definitely_," she replied with a grin. "I never have understood how you can see the things we see in this ling of work, but you can't sit and watch a slasher movie with me. You hate them."

"I don't hate them. I just figure we get enough of the real thing. Besides the blood and guts in those movies always look so fake."

"But you'll sit and watch a romantic flick with me?"

"Hey, watching a girly movie with my wife gives us time curl up together on the sofa. I am always up for that."

"Aww, my big bad cop husband likes to cuddle."

"In girl world it is cuddling on the couch, in guy world it is the perfect chance to get to second base."

Olivia smiled.

"I'll tell you what. If you take your wife for a romantic moonlit walk on the beach…..I can guarantee you you'll get past second base tonight."

Elliot smiled a devious smile.

"Let me get the keycard," he reaching for the white plastic card from the nightstand beside the bed before kissing his wife and heading out the door.


	14. 14 Just A Kiss

_My Sister's Secret_

_(Chapter Fourteen: Just A Kiss)_

Bailey sat on the edge of the bed watching as her sister riffled through both of their suitcases in search of the perfect outfit.

"I don't understand what the big deal is. It's just dinner," she said rolling over and looking annoyed.

"It's a date," Aubrey clarified. "My first real date and I really like this guy,"

"Woo hoo," Bailey replied less than excited as she twirled her hair in her fingers. "You have been out with guys before,"

"Not guys I really like. And not guys that mom and dad knew about, let alone approved of. And I never really got to go on a real date. It was more like sneaking around to hang out or meeting up to drink and make out," she paused for a moment. "I could see if has a friend for you."

"No thanks. I am perfectly capable of finding a date of my own. I don't want a pity date with a friend of the pool boy," Bailey replied trying hard to hide the fact that she was more than a bit jealous of her sister.

"He is the life guard, not the pool boy. He is a really nice guy. Look at me and tell me you don't think he is cute."

Of course Bailey thought he was cute. Desperate to catch his eye, she had wore her cutest outfits and used all of her flirty little moves every time she saw him. But nothing seemed to work. This particular guy was too busy looking at her twin sister, who happened to look exactly like her, to even notice that Bailey existed.

"Yea, I guess so. Your date isn't until tonight. Why don't you take a break from this so we can go to the beach? "

"I have to find the perfect outfit Bail, I want everything about this night to be perfect."

"What good does that do anyway? We go back home in four days. Do you think you will ever see this guy again?"

"Actually he spends summers here living with his dad to earn extra money working at the resort. During the rest of the year he lives in an apartment with his mother on the lower east side."

"Christian is from the city?"

"Yea. He is a really sweet guy, Bailey. And I know you would really like him if you just give him a chance. I think this could really work. He could be the one."

"You barely know him. I mean you sat and talked to him for a couple of hours at the pool one day and he flirted with you."

"Isn't that how it is supposed to start?"

"Just be careful," Bailey warned.

Aubrey stared at her sister.

"I just don't want you to end up getting hurt. I mean he is a guy. And he spends his summers here every year. He is an attractive guy who drives a sports car. Do you really think you are the only pretty girl in a bikini he has ever flirted with?"

"I wont go," Aubrey said softly.

"What?"

"If you don't want me to, I wont go. You are right. I've just met him and I don't know much about him. I am interested in getting to know him. But not if it jeopardizes my relationship with my sister. He's just a guy. I just met him, Bail. I've known you my while life. You are my absolute best friend and your opinion means more to me than anyone else's in the world. So if you don't think that I should go out with him, I wont."

Bailey sat there for a moment thinking about what her sister had just said. Aubrey watched as she began to shake her head.

"No, Bre," she said as she began to tear up. "If you like him, you should go for it. And I am sorry for feeling jealous. Jealous of you and jealous of him. I love you and I am happy for you. I want you to be happy."

Aubrey smiled and hugged her sister.

"You don't have to be jealous," she whispered as she began to tear up as well. "You are my sister and I love you. I am closer to you than anyone else. We shared a womb and everything else since before we were born. We have always been here for each other and we always will be. No one is ever going to come between us."

Bailey smiled as Aubrey wiped a tear from her cheek.

"I have an idea," Bailey said as she locked her fingers between her sister's and knocked on the door to her mother's suite.

"Come on in," Olivia said stretching as the girls entered the room and climbed onto the bed with her. "You guys are up awful early."

"It's almost eleven mom," Bailey said with a smile.

"Oh," Olivia sighed as she looked over at the clock on the night stand. "So it is. What have the two of you been up to?"

"Trying to pick out the perfect outfit for my date tonight," Aubrey replied. "But it's hopeless. I could really use your help."

Olivia smiled.

"Sure," she said climbing from the bed. "Why don't we order some breakfast, then we can do a little shopping."

"That sounds great," Bailey said scrambling from the bed to grab the room service menu.

"Where is dad?" Aubrey asked.

"He left a few hours ago to go play golf," Olivia said as she stepped into the shower.

Aubrey's eyes widened.

"Golf with Christian?" she asked in a worried voice.

"I think so," Olivia said as she rinsed the shampoo from her hair.

"Oh my God mom! He is spending the day alone with the guy I hope will soon be my boyfriend. This is so humiliating!"

"You worry too much," Olivia said wrapping a towel around herself and stepping from the shower.

She smiled at Aubrey who was sitting on the bathroom counter and kissed the top of her head.

"You know dad is going to say or do something to embarrass me. He'll try to do something he thinks is cool….he can't be trusted."

Olivia laughed as she finished brushing her teeth.

"You know your father. He wouldn't let any guy date one of his daughters without checking him out first. And Christian is really too young for a back ground check. What did you expect?" Olivia asked.

Aubrey exhaled in frustration.

"Can I give you a little bit of advice? Try not to stress the things you cannot change. It will drive you crazy," she said tucking a strand of dark hair behind Aubrey's ear. "Your father is trying to look out for you because he loves you. You will understand some day when you have kids of your own."

"Possibly, only I will never have kids because my father will chase away every guy I am ever interested in by telling him embarrassing stories about me."

"Lets go have some breakfast before your sister eats it all. I think what you need is a nice relaxing day of retail therapy," Olivia suggested as she hugged her daughter.

"Thanks mom," Aubrey exhaled. "Sometimes I wonder how you can be so cool and understanding and dad just doesn't get it."

"Baby, dad was never a teenaged girl," Olivia reminded her. "That's why he doesn't get it. I will talk to him. But try not to worry about it. You will only stress yourself out."

"And stress causes zits," Bailey chimed in chewing on a bit of bagel.

Olivia laughed again.

After breakfast, Olivia and the girls took a cab into town in search of the perfect date outfit. They looked and looked and both girls tried on dozens of outfits, but nothing seemed right for the occasion.

After lunch, Olivia treated her daughters to manicures and pedicures in the local mall. They went to salon where Aubrey spent some of the money she had saved up from her job to get her hair done, then they were off for some more shopping.

They arrived back at the hotel around three thirty and Olivia helped the girls carry up the shopping bags from the days purchases.

"I still don't know what I am going to wear tonight," Aubrey said dumping one of the bags out onto the bed.

"With all of the new stuff you bought today I am sure you will find something," Elliot said watching her from across the room.

"Dad, it has to be perfect. I cant just wear jeans and a tee shirt," she replied holding up the new clothes she'd bought.

"Of course not," Elliot mumbled as he left the room. "You just bought the clothes, how could I possibly think that you'd wear them?"

Olivia laughed at his remark as he entered the room.

"She's a girl, El. And she is about to go on her first date with a guy she really likes. She wants everything to be perfect."

"Well, I'm her dad. The holder of the credit card she purchased all of that stuff on," he said pointing over his shoulder into the other room. "And I'm about to go watch a ball game," he clarified. "I know nothing about girl dates and clothes and make up."

Olivia laughed again.

"Mom," Aubrey called from the other room.

"This one is all your's," Elliot said as he made his way to the sofa and picked up the remote control.

"Yes dear," Olivia said peeking around the door to the girl's bedroom.

"I still don't know what to wear," Aubrey said looking horrified. "He will be here in three hours!"

"Calm down," Olivia said reaching or her hand. "Come in here and lets see if I have anything that will work for the occasion."

A few hours later Elliot woke up on the sofa. Across the room Bailey sat watching TV.

"What'd I miss?" he asked sitting up and rubbing his hands over his face.

"Yankees are winning 8 to 3," she replied.

"That's good. But not exactly what I meant," he said pointing to the bedroom where his wife and other daughter were.

"Mom is helping Aubrey get ready. She is really nervous."

"She really likes Christian, huh?"

"Yea, she does. What do you think about him?" Bailey asked.

"He seems like a good kid."

"Do you think he's good enough for Aubrey?"

"Honey, I'm your dad, no guy will ever be good enough for my daughters," he said smiling at her.

"I just really don't want her to end up getting hurt again."

Elliot smiled.

"It's sweet of you to look out for your sister the way you do."

"Bre looks out for me too,' she replied.

"I know she does. But I don't want you worrying about her like this, okay? I spent the entire day with this kid and I think he knows better than to try anything. I promise you, if he disrespects her in any way, he is going to wish he had never been born."

"Wow dad."

"Hey, nobody messes with my kids and gets away with it. And if dear old dad isn't enough to scare them straight, I am sure your two older brothers would love the chance to talk some sense into them."

Bailey smiled and laughed.

"Should I go in there and check on them?" Elliot asked.

"Probably not," Bailey replied with a smile. "They are bonding over make up and a curling iron," she joked.

"She's ready," Olivia replied as Aubrey walked out of the room.

Bailey smiled.

"You look so pretty. I love your new hair cut."

"Thanks. What do you think, daddy?" Aubrey asked with a smile.

"You look beautiful, honey."

"Mom let me borrow her dress," she said smoothing her hands over the black mini dress that fell a little longer on his daughter than on his wife. "And her pearls."

"Are you sure you wont be too cold?" Elliot asked nervously eyeing the spaghetti straps on the dress.

"Dad, it is summer. It's like eighty degrees outside," Bailey said looking confused.

"It could get chilly, you should take a sweater."

"El," Olivia replied shaking her head.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to have it," Aubrey said turning to look at her mother. "Can I borrow your sweater, mom?"

Olivia smiled and nodded as she rolled her eyes up to look at her husband. Aubrey moved back into the other room to get the garment.

"I know what you're up to, Stabler," Olivia laughed looking at him.

It wasn't long before Christian was there to pick up Aubrey. He formally introduced himself to Olivia, making a good impression with his manners.

"You guys have a good time," Olivia said as the young couple headed for the door.

"Have her back here by ten. Not five after, not ten after. Ten o'clock," Elliot reminded Christian.

"Yes, sir."

"Where are you guys going?" He asked.

"Dad," Aubrey whined.

"I plan to take Aubrey for some dinner and maybe a walk on the beach," he said looking back at Aubrey as she smiled at him.

"You mind your manners, young man."

"Dad!"

"My daughter deserves respect and she'd better get it."

"Yes, sir."

"If I find out anything otherwise…."

"We've got to go now," Aubrey said grabbing Christian by the arm and leading him out the door. "We will be back on time," she said waving to Elliot and Olivia as she closed the door to the hotel room.

"Are you happy?" Olivia asked looking at her husband.

"I am," he replied.

"You just humiliated her."

"I warned him. She'll get over a little embarrassment. But that boy now knows I mean business."

"I am so sorry about that," Aubrey said as she fell back against the elevator wall and smoothed her hands over her face. "My dad is so embarrassing!"

Christian smiled at her.

"It's ok," he laughed. "He just loves you and is trying to look out for you."

Aubrey drew a deep breath and pressed her lips together.

"So," she said softly trying to redirect the conversation, "where do you want to go for dinner?" she asked.

"I made arrangements," he said staring into her eyes and she couldn't help but smile. "I thought we could take that walk on the beach first."

"Okay," she said softly.

As the elevator doors opened, Christian took Aubrey's hand in his and lead her out the door and toward the club house.

"We're gonna eat here?" she asked.

"I thought we could take out a golf cart and go for a moonlit tour of the golf course. It is really pretty out here at night."

"That sounds nice," she said with a shy smile.

She climbed into the golf cart and slid over beside him on the seat.

"It is really pretty out here," she said as they parked near the pond to look up at the stars.

"I love it here. It is so peaceful and quiet. It can be a nice escape from the city."

"Yea," she replied.

Aubrey looked down as Christian slipped his fingers between hers. She smiled nervously.

"You look really nice," he said staring into her eyes as they sat down on the green to look up at the stars.

"Thank you."

"I had been thinking of asking you out for a while."

"I have only been here for a few days."

"I know, but I knew right away that I wanted to get to know you better. But I wasn't sure you'd say yes. And I didn't know if your dad would approve."

"My dad really likes you."

"He's cool."

"I'm glad you think so."

"You don't?"

"He isn't that bad, I guess. It just gets embarrassing when he is so over protective."

"He is your father, I can understand that. If I had daughters I'd probably be the same way."

Aubrey smiled.

Christian looked over at her and smiled. Aubrey watched as he leaned slowly toward her. Her heart was racing and she felt a moment of panic as she pulled back away from him.

"I'm sorry," Christian said noticing the look in her eyes.

"No, I'm sorry. I…."

"You don't have to be sorry. Aubrey, I don't want to try anything that you're not ready for. I didn't mean to scare you. I guess my timing is just a little off."

"I am just a little nervous."

"You don't have to be nervous. Why don't we head back and get something to eat?"

"Okay," she said with a smile.

They headed back to the club house to turn in the golf cart then walked down to the beach. Aubrey pulled off her black pumps and carried them as they strolled along in the sand. They talked for a while, getting to know each other a little better. Everything about this night with him felt so right, she though as they stopped walking and he stared into her eyes.

This would be the perfect place for a first kiss. She thought as the full moon glistened over the water and reflected in his eyes. Maybe she would like for him to kiss her after all. She had been kissed before, but it was usually by guys who were fast and all over the place and only had one thing on their mind. Christian wasn't like that at all.

He was handsome and smart and respectful of her. He was a gentleman and really listened to her when she spoke to him. She knew she didn't know him very well, but he treated her like a princess and it was so nice to finally be able to be herself and feel completely comfortable around a guy. And the cherry on top the cake was the fact that her mother and father approved of him. And she was really hoping that she hadn't already ruined her chances with him by pulling away when he tried to kiss her.

Aubrey watched as he spoke to her. She heard every word he said, but wasn't really paying attention at all. She was in some daydream, swept away by the romance of the night and a first date with the guy of her dreams.

"What is that?" Aubrey asked looking at a light further down the beach.

"Let's go find out," Christian responded with a smile.

They strolled hand in hand along the beach until they came up on a table set for two. In the center of the table were tall glass cylinders, each containing a white pillar candle and purple rose petals were scattered all around. Tiki torches lit the area and a warm summer breeze blew around them as he pulled out a chair for her.

"You did all of this?" she asked looking around them as she sat down at the table. "For me?"

"I made a few phone calls," he said with a smile. "These are for you," he replied handing her a bouquet of purple roses.

"Purple roses are my…."

"Favorite," he said cutting her off. "I know. I remembered you saying something about it when we walked past the dining room that day and they were setting out the new center pieces."

Aubrey laughed a little nervous.

"That was our first day here. You were helping to carry up our luggage and you remember something I said….before we were even talking?"

Christian smiled again.

"I remember everything you say."

"Thank you," she said as a waiter appeared from the country club behind them.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked as the waiter sat two wine glasses on the table and pulled a bottle from an iced bucket.

"Umm…I'm not old enough to drink," she said raising her hand to cover her glass.

Christian smiled and laughed a little.

"I'm only seventeen, myself," he clarified. "It's sparkling cider."

"Oh," she said with an embarrassed grin.

Olivia had been sitting in the living room watching a movie with Bailey when she noticed Elliot had been missing for a while. She looked around her to see that Bailey had fallen asleep in the chair. She smiled as she leaned down to wake her daughter.

"Hey, why don't you go on to bed?"

"Is Aubrey back yet?" she asked with tired eyes.

"Not yet. She still has a little over an hour until curfew."

"It isn't even nine yet?"

Olivia smiled.

"She already has your father waiting up for her. Go on to bed," Olivia whispered. "I'm sure she will have plenty to talk to you about in the morning."

"I guess you're right," she said climbing from the chair and hugging her mother. "Goodnight, mom."

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Olivia said kissing her daughter.

She watched as Bailey disappeared into her bedroom and closed the door, then got up and made her way into her bedroom to check on her husband.

"Hey," she said softly stepping out onto the balcony beside Elliot. "Try not to worry so much," she said softly as she massaged his shoulders.

"I'm her father, it is my job to worry."

Olivia smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

"The moon is beautiful tonight," she said staring up into the blue glow.

"Yea," he agreed without breaking his stare.

"But it's not the moon you're looking at is it?"

Olivia moved to the other side of him to catch a glimpse of what was holding his attention.

"You're spying?" she asked as she recognized the kids he was watching.

"It's not my fault I can see them from our balcony."

Olivia laughed.

"How's it going? She was so nervous."

"He gave her flowers."

"That's sweet."

"And he was holding her hand."

"I see she took the sweater off," Olivia said and Elliot frowned at her. "What? It really is too warm out for a sweater."

"You didn't think she was showing a little too much skin for a sixteen year old?"

"I thought she looked beautiful. Very elegant and very grown up."

"Too grown up. I think that dress was a bad idea."

"You bought that dress for me. You said it was your favorite."

"On my wife! Not on my teenaged daughter. It is too short, too black and too sexy for a kid."

"She isn't a kid anymore, El. She is a young woman."

"She is my baby and if his hands wander anywhere that dress covers, I'll break both his arms when he brings her back. You should have made her wear jeans."

Olivia laughed.

"I though you liked Christian. You have done nothing but brag about what a great kid he is for the last two days."

"He is a great kid. He is also a seventeen year old boy."

"So."

"So, seventeen year old boys have one thing on their mind," Elliot said raising his fingers up like a gun and closing one eye to aim. "And if he tries any of that on my daughter….you know, if I had my weapon I could reach him from here."

"Elliot!" she said pushing him. "You know, Christian is a lot like you."

"He is," Elliot agreed. "Hey, I was once a seventeen year old boy. And as a father, I wouldn't want a kid like me anywhere near my daughter. I never should have let her go out with him."

"Elliot, you can't be so over protective all of the time. You have to let them grow up. You have to loosen up a little and eventually you will have to let them go off and start lives of their own. They are growing up."

"I liked it better when they were little and I could protect them and mommy and daddy were the only two people in the world who mattered."

Olivia smiled and hugged her husband.

"I miss those days, too. But they are not babies anymore. They are young women, now. And they are going to start dating and we are just going to have to deal with that. We have raised two smart and very level headed girls. And I think that Aubrey has pretty good taste in guys so far."

"They are dancing."

"That's romantic."

"There is no music."

Olivia turned around just in time to witness Aubrey and Christian's first kiss under the moonlight.

"And now he's kissing her," Elliot growled.

"El, they still have an hour until curfew. You have to trust her."

"I do. It's him I don't trust."

"Why don't you come back inside?" she asked sweetly as she pulled him by the hand toward the bedroom. "I can give you something better to look at," she whispered kissing him tenderly as she slid the balcony door shut behind them.

She turned around to face him once more as she began to unbutton her blouse.

"Now?" he asked raising an eye brow.

"Unless you don't want to."

"Of course I want to. But what about them?"

"We have a whole hour until they get back."

"Bailey is in the next room."

"No, she went to bed," Olivia said as she stepped out of her clothes and stood naked in front of him.

Elliot pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside, then picked up his wife and laid her across the bed. Forty minutes later, they laid naked in each other's arms.

"I have got to be the luckiest man in the world," he said kissing his beautiful wife once more. "I love you so much," he whispered as she smiled.

"I love you, too."

He drew a deep breath and exhaled.

"I don't like letting go," he choked out. "It's hard to think of them as adults. It wasn't that long ago that we were up every night pacing the floor with two colicky babies. Being there with them through first steps and first words and the first tooth. Through Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny and the Boogieman. Bed time stories and ballet classes, to a rape and a murder charge. Now driving and dating. They have had to grow up so fast. I guess I was just hoping they would be little girls just a bit longer."

Olivia smiled and raised up in the bed.

"They're not completely gone yet. We still have a little time before they leave home. We just need to take advantage of the time we have left before our little chicks leave the nest."

"Our babies are growing up," Elliot said as he stood up and began to put his clothes back on. "Time check," he said as she pulled her gown on and tied her robe.

"They should be back any minute," she said as they made her way back into the living room and settled on the sofa together to catch the end of the movie.

Christian had Aubrey back right on time and Olivia could tell by the smile on her face that she had a wonderful evening with him.

"How'd it go?" Olivia asked as Aubrey closed the door.

"Good. He is really sweet. And he was a perfect gentleman," she said smiling at her worried father.

"Did you have a good time?" her mother asked.

"I had a great time. Christian actually asked me for a second date."

"A second date?" Elliot asked.

"Yea, we're gonna have lunch tomorrow and he is going to give me a golf lesson."

"You like golf?" he asked.

"I might. For the right guy," she replied as she leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "Goodnight," she said as she disappeared into the bedroom.

"See, nothing to worry about," Olivia said as she patted him on the chest.

"Yea, nothing at all," he replied.

"El, lets go back to bed."

The next morning Bailey was already up when Olivia made her way into the living room area of the girls' suite.

"Where's your sister?"

"Still in bed," Bailey replied.

"Oh, well I was thinking the four of us could go down to the restraint for breakfast this morning and eat together as a family."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"Dad's in the shower. Why don't you go ahead and start getting ready and I will go wake your sister."

"Ok," bailey replied making her way to their bathroom to grab a shower as well.

Olivia walked into the bedroom of the girls' suite and crawled into bed with Aubrey. She smiled as she watched her sleep for a moment. Olivia raised her finger and traced it lightly down Aubrey's nose.

"Good morning beautiful," she whispered as Aubrey slowly opened her eyes.

"Morning mom," the girl replied with a smile.

"So how did things go last night?" Olivia asked.

"I really like Christian. He was so sweet to me."

"I'm glad you had fun."

"We took a golf cart out on the golf course. Then we walked along the beach in the moonlight. He had a table set with candles on the beach and we had dinner right there. And he gave purple roses," she said pointing to the flowers across the room in a vase. "It was so romantic and he was such a gentleman."

"I'm so happy for you baby."

"Then we danced. There wasn't any music, but it was still romantic. And he kissed me," she said with a squeal of excitement as she rolled her eyes and pulled the blankets up around her. "And you know he doesn't even mind dad being all crazy around him?"

Olivia smiled.

"He thinks dad is cool. He said he understands him being over protective of me because he would be the same way if he had daughters. He is so cute and so amazing. I really like him mom."

Olivia hugged her and kissed the top of her head.

"Dad and bailey are getting dressed. We were going to go have breakfast all together as a family."

"Okay. Give me a few minutes and I'll be ready."

After breakfast, Aubrey borrowed Olivia's cell phone to call Christian and get the details of their lunch date.

"Mom, it says you have four voice mails," Aubrey said as she powered the phone up.

"It's fine," Olivia replied deleting the messages without listening to them and handing the phone back to her daughter. "It's probably just something about work anyway."

"So why don't they try dad? He never turns his phone off."

"It doesn't matter anyway. This is family time, it is our vacation. Everything else can wait until we get back home."

Aubrey smiled as she dialed her new boyfriend's number and made her way into the other room. Olivia took a deep breath and exhaled as she made her way back into her bedroom to take a nap.


End file.
